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| L-R: DG ICRC, Chidi Izuwa, the Hon. Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and Gov. Ben Ayade at the handing over of the OBC for Cross River Deep Seaport project |
The Federal Government on Monday handed over the Outline Business Case(OBC) certificate to the Cross Rover
State Government, which is part of documents required for the
construction of its deep seaport .
State Government, which is part of documents required for the
construction of its deep seaport .
Receiving the OBC certificate from the Minister of
Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, the Cross River Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, said
that issuance of the certificate to the state meant moving quickly with the
deep seaport project plan, acknowledging the fast pace of response and action by the Infrastructure
Concession and Regulatory Commission(ICRC).
Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, the Cross River Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, said
that issuance of the certificate to the state meant moving quickly with the
deep seaport project plan, acknowledging the fast pace of response and action by the Infrastructure
Concession and Regulatory Commission(ICRC).
“The certificate is an Outline Business Case. It shows
that there is a full densification commitment of the Federal Government through
the Federal Ministry of Transportation to say yes we have come to recognise and
accept that Cross River State Government should go ahead with the Full Business
Case, FBC, towards the construction of a deep seaport.
that there is a full densification commitment of the Federal Government through
the Federal Ministry of Transportation to say yes we have come to recognise and
accept that Cross River State Government should go ahead with the Full Business
Case, FBC, towards the construction of a deep seaport.
“And the emphasis on the deep seaport is
agro-industrial, not exclusively, but to show that the core target is to do an
agro-industrial transformation of Nigeria. It will be the major leading port in
that respect but will have other industrial parks,” Ayade said.
agro-industrial, not exclusively, but to show that the core target is to do an
agro-industrial transformation of Nigeria. It will be the major leading port in
that respect but will have other industrial parks,” Ayade said.
He also disclosed that work on the project had begun in
the last six months when the state got the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
approval, which gave the project a legal right for access to the ocean.
the last six months when the state got the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
approval, which gave the project a legal right for access to the ocean.
The governor added that receiving the OBC would enable
them to begin direct dealings with the concessionaires to arrive at more
specifics of location, date and work commencement, as they wait for the FBC.
them to begin direct dealings with the concessionaires to arrive at more
specifics of location, date and work commencement, as they wait for the FBC.
Speaking on the development, the honourable minister
said: “What they have got right now is the OBC. We will take the next move to
verify all the necessary instruments that we need and then proceed back to the
Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission for the FBC before we go to
cabinet for approval.
said: “What they have got right now is the OBC. We will take the next move to
verify all the necessary instruments that we need and then proceed back to the
Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission for the FBC before we go to
cabinet for approval.
“But the most important thing is that we are speeding
it up so as to enable those states who want to invest in seaports and others to
go ahead and do so.”
it up so as to enable those states who want to invest in seaports and others to
go ahead and do so.”
Asked if the federal government was partnering Cross
River state for the deep seaport project, Amaechi said: “We will get to that. We
will sit down with the Cross River State Government and their major partners
and see how much NPA would want to invest.”
River state for the deep seaport project, Amaechi said: “We will get to that. We
will sit down with the Cross River State Government and their major partners
and see how much NPA would want to invest.”
