The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has expressed worry over the heinous act of vandalism and theft of railway tracks connecting the inland ports in the country.
The council said the incessant cases of stealing of the rail tracks along Lagos-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano and Zaria-Funtua has crippled the commencement of rail transport of cargo from and to the dry ports.
Its executive secretary, Pius Akutah, raised this concern in a statement made available to newsmen in Kano following an inspection of the Funtua Inland Dry Port, ahead of its inauguration.
Although the Funtua Inland Dry Port has commenced informal commercial conveyance of freight through heavy trucks on road, the use of the train system is considered pivotal to cost effectiveness and less risk in overall management of dry port.
The council’s boss explained that the federal government is harnessing energy to overcome the challenges and ensure the railway system is connected to the Inland dry ports. He urged for an end to needless vandalization of government investments.
Akutah further challenged state governments and locals around the railway line to take ownership of the critical national assets, insisting that the federal government alone must not be left with the responsibility to protect the entire facility within the states.
While applauding the efforts of Funtua Inland Dry Port concessionaires on the project so far, the NSC boss called on the management to intensify energy on completion of the facility to meet target set for commissioning.
Akutah who alongside the management team of the council and Professor Busayo Akinlade, Technical Adviser to Hon. Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola were conducted round the facility however sited few lapses that should urgently be fixed.
The minister’s technical adviser specifically drew the attention of the port managers on open drainage and untarred ways around the warehouse. He demanded the commitment of the concessionaire to complete work in two weeks.
“We are here on the instruction of the minister to inspect the level of work done so far ahead of Mr President’s visit for commissioning of the facility. The role of the ministry is to ensure the nation slides away from oil dependent economies and diversifies in the area of the non-oil sector, especially in the blue sea sector,” he said.
Meanwhile, the management had invested huge amounts in the port which is already at 95 percent completion.
In addition to the dry ports in Kano, Funtua Inland Dry Port has already been accredited as port of origin and destination. It has been scheduled for official flag off by President Bola Tinubu by the first quarter of 2024.
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