By Onozure Dania

SAPELE—A House of Representatives member representing Sapele/Uvwie/Okpe Federal Constituency, Delta State, Chief Efe Afe, has called on the Federal Government to reactivate the Sapele Port and other ports in the country to decongest Apapa and Tin Can Island ports.

House of Representatives

Chief Afe, a member of the House of Representatives on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  said with the congestion being experienced in Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports, the Federal Government must reactivate other ports in the country if it wants to decongest those two ports.

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Afe, who spoke to Vanguard in Warri, Delta State lamented that the huge amount of money  used to build the Sapele Port in the 80s should not be allowed to go to waste.

“The Federal Government spent huge sum of money to build the Sapele Port. So it will not be wise for them to allow such facilities to rot away while at the same time they are losing huge revenue from the congestion at the Lagos Ports.

“We have been clamouring for the revival of Sapele Port for a very long time now. It all started when Joyce Overa during the 6th Assembly of the House of Representatives. He moved a motion that the Sapele Port should be reactivated.

“The House then resolved that the Sapele Port should be reactivated. They even sent Representatives to visit the port where the Nigerian Shippers Council was also represented. But till date, nothing has been done to reactivate the Sapele Port.

“Today, with the congestion in Apapa and Tin Can Ports, Lagos, we all know that the economy is suffering because it takes longer time for people to retrieve their goods from the ports.

“The Federal Government needs to dredge the Warri River and other rivers so that vessels can come to Warri, Sapele, Koko and Burutu Ports. This will alleviate the suffering by businessmen in the South-South and South-East region of the country. This will also lead to the creation of employment for our people and revenue generation to the federal and state governments.”

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“I have already drafted a motion concerning this matter which is already with the Clerk of the House. The motion is calling on the Federal Government to reactivate the Sapele Port alongside the Warri and Koko ports, and if possible, the Burutu port..

“We, the members of the House of Representatives from Delta State are going to do our best in the House. We have been doing it before and we are going to do it again. So, I want to assure my constituent that the dividends of democracy will extend to them. Let them exercise patient for now and I believe we are going to do our best.

“I also want to urge all Deltans to support the current  government of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the Federal Government under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in the implementation of capital projects and policies,” Afe said.

Vanguard