NIGERIA PORT AUTHORITY TO BEGIN RECONSTRUCTION OF COLLAPSED BERTHS

Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has said it is working with terminal operators to begin the reconstruction of the collapsed berths at the Rivers Port in Port Harcourt to enhance activities in the Eastern ports.

Speaking during his maiden tour of the Rivers’ ports, NPA’s Managing Director, Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko, said the Authority has given BUA Terminal, one of the terminal operators, the final approval for the submitted design, which means the NPA expects construction to commence soon.

According to him, berths 5 to 8 of the BUA Terminal that was built in the 1920s, collapsed years back. “They have decayed which was why we decommissioned some of them but the agreement is for BUA to reconstruct some of them,” he said.

Bello-Koko however said NPA is dissatisfied with the speed at which BUA is repairing works as the Authority expected that the reconstruction should have started a few months ago.

For the Ports and Terminal Operators Nigeria Limited (PTOL), he said there is a development plan that involves bringing down some of the shades in the terminal to improve the stacking areas and increase the terminal’s ability to handle more cargoes.

The NPA boss also said that the PTOL terminal has some collapsed berths, which NPA is discussing with them how to rehabilitate so that bigger vessels will be able to berth at Rivers Port.

SOURCE: Vanguard