Seeks new partner

By Godfrey Bivbere

THE Federal Government has bought back the investment of about N3.5 billion by Duncan Maritime Ventures, DMV, in the Jos Inland Container Depot, ICD, as it seeks new investors for the project.

Disclosing this at a stakeholders meeting in Lagos, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, Hassan Bello, said the decision is part of government’s measures to ensure that all ICDs in the country become operational.

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The NSC boss who was represented by the Director in charge of the Inland Transport Services of the Council at the meeting, Akintunde Makinde, stated that the meeting was a directive from the Federal Government and mandate given by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amechi, that all ICDs in the country must be completed and commissioned as soon as possible.

He noted that the Council promotes and facilitates the establishment of ICDs in Nigeria on the basis of Public Private Partnership, PPP.

The ICDs, he stated, are to bring shipping services to the doorsteps of shippers, assist in decongesting the seaport and revive and modernize the railway.

One of the representatives of the Plateau State Government, Ezekiel Gomes, said the State Government is enthusiastic about the project and the opportunities the ICD will bring for the economic development of its people.

A member of the Plateau State Government delegation to the meeting, David J. Wuyep, stated that the state seeks joint collaboration to make the ICD functional, adding that as a state, they are ready and prepared as the issues of insecurity has been tackled.

In view of this, the Managing Director of Duncan Maritime Ltd, Bartho Nyelong, said their inability to bring about the implementation of the project was due to certain challenges that made them take a decision to pull out.

Recall that Vanguard Maritime Report had earlier reported that a source in DMV had said that, ”We are not getting any form of support from the Plateau State Government. We have already started the discussion with the federal government.

“You remember what happened during Jonah Janga’s administration when they brought a bulldozer to level the work we have done at the ICD.

“Because we are not getting any support from Plateau State government, so we held a meeting with the federal government. They gave us some options concerning the ICD. One, whether we will transfer our shareholding to them or if we really want to do the project we have to show them that we have the money down to do the project because they said the president said he wants to commission it by June next 2020.

“We told them that we have N3.5 billion on the project so far and that is why we stood by the project all these while,” the source noted.

Vanguard