Igwe Muodum Obi, the traditional ruler of Nnobi, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, has commended Rep. Ifeanyi Ibezi for his motion at the National Assembly to decongest Lagos ports.
Obi gave the commendation during a reception for Ibezi, representing Idemili North and South Constituency on Wednesday at Nnobi, organised by one of his constituents, Mr. Nelson Omenugha.
The monarch said that the decongestion would create business activities and help develop other sea and inland ports across the country.
“Ibezi had started well by moving two important motions that border on sim card swap fraud and ports decongestion in a space of few months.
“We expect other political leaders who mean well for this country to follow suit and ensure that the Federal Government carries out necessary steps to realise the viability of other ports,” he said.
Earlier, Ibezi explained that the motion on ports was aimed at putting into maximum use, the Onne port and others to generate enough revenue and boost country’s economy.
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“The Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports were constructed around 1982 to accommodate about 33 metric tons of goods per day.
“Today, Apapa and Tin-Can Island takes 80 million tons of goods a day.
“In Nigeria today, only Apapa and Tin-Can Island exist, while Onne and other eastern ports have not been put to maximum use.
“They claim the ports are not functioning, but I challenged them that Onne port is generating about N12 billion annually into the coffers of the Federal Government,” the lawmaker said.
According to him, there are lots of gridlocks in Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports.
Ibezi noted that importers and exporters found it difficult to access their goods from the Lagos ports.
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“Today, if you take any good into Nigeria, it will take you three months to clear it and the importer bears a lot of demurrage and at the end, the end users suffer it the most.
“So, I make bold to say that this is the time to decongest Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports by ensuring that other eastern ports are put to maximum use,” he said.
The host, Mr Nelson Omenugha, said he had no atom of doubt about Ibezi’s ability to give the constituents quality representation.
“The two motions sponsored in less than one month of his inauguration as a federal lawmaker are indications that Ibezi is a force to reckon with.
“You all heard him today on his plan to establish two constituency offices in Idemili North and South so that he would be accessed easily.
“To me, that is what quality representation is all about,” he said.
Omenugha described Ibezi as a passionate lawmaker who had invested much in the lives of the constituents, especially women and youths even before his election.
“He is one of the greatest politicians we have in this constituency; that is why I deem it necessary to celebrate his victory in the last election, in addition to the recent motions he sponsored at the floor of the National Assembly,” he said. (NAN)
