Fresh hope of increased activities has risen for the troubled Delta Port situated in Delta State as the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) recorded over $45.2 million income from the facility between January and June 2019. The Chairman of NPA board of directors, Emmanuel Adesoye, attributed the increase in business activities at the hitherto abandoned port to improved security situation in that area.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum at the New Port in Warri, Delta State, Adesoye, stated that the rise in revenue when compared to 2018’s $35.39 million, a 28% increase, is also due to the dredging of the Escravos channel.
While briefing newsmen, he revealed that a $2,904,377 debt was recovered within the same period, leaving the total revenue collected at the sum of $48,150,644.17. He expressed satisfaction over the peaceful situation around the Warri environment in the past two years, the chairman charged all stakeholders, including the leadership of the host communities to continue to work with security agencies to keep the peace.
He said: “The major challenge is the issue of dredging the channels, the inner ports in the terminal here which management has already taken action. In fact, they have called for the construction of these channels, so there is no cause for alarms. The reason I can’t give a time frame is you have the procurement cycle, sometimes you cannot determine it with any degree of accuracy.
“My marching word is for them to continue to cooperate as they are doing. I am very impressed about the security situation here in Warri which is incredibly fantastic. I am really pleased because the last time we came the leadership of this community did say that they are going to make sure that there are no vandalism, no issues of security concerns raised in this place. They’ve lived true to their words and I am really impressed.
“And that is why you can see the degree of improvement that has happened here. The number of ships that are coming have increased significantly and revenues have gone up.” He said.
