FG Hands Over Warri Terminal Port To Owners At An Annual Lease Fee Of N.587billion

The Director General, Bureau Of Public Enterprise (BPE) on behalf of the National Council on Privatisation, Mr Alex A.Okoh says the concession of Terminal B, Warri old Port is for a period of 25 years at an annual lease fee of US$1,621,500.00 in addition to the entry fee and monthly throughput fee chargeable on volume of cargo handled.

Okoh disclosed this on Monday during the official handing over of the Terminal B, Berth 4 of the Old Warri Port to Ocean and Cargo Services limited, a partner to maritime industry giant, SIFAX Group, at NPA, Warri, Delta state.

While expressing satisfaction at the milestone event, Okoh said that Ocean and Cargo Terminal Services Limited emerged the successful concessionaire for the transaction.

“The Objective of the Government in Port concession is to increase efficiency in our ports, improve service delivery, upgrade and modernize facilities in ports, reduce cost of shipping and clearing of goods at the Ports and relive the Government of the burden of financing the sector, he said.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman, appealed to maritime- impacted communities in Delta state to support efforts to revive ports activities by not pressuring operators.

Bala- Usman, who was represented by the Executive Director, Marine and Operations of the NPA, Dr Sokonte Davies, said that the concessioning of ports facilities was carried out to enhance productivities and attract more cargos to the hitherto abandoned ports.

Appealing to the people in the host communities to the maritime environment, the NPA chief executive officer said the dividends of supporting the federal government’s initiatives in the maritime would be an enhanced economy for Warri and environs, the state and surplus of jobs for people from the communities.

“We therefore implore the impacted communities, in making the government’s efforts a success, they should work positively with the concessioner; the communities should try not to put any pressure on them because pressures can shut the business down.

“But if the communities support them, they will see that as activities increase and vessels come, it will increase the engagement of young men and women, even the old people.

“The communities will be positively impacted because economy will grow and it will have positive effect on every area of life of the people.

“We are using this opportunity to appeal to the host communities to help this one to work. It is working in other places, don’t let yours be different,” Bala-Usman said.

(Editing by Joe Ogbodu)