The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), has applauded the commitment of the Abia State Government at ensuring the realization of the proposed Aba Inland Container Depot (ICD).
Ify Agatha Okolue, coordinator, South-East zone of the NSC, who made the commendation during a tour of the Avor Ntigha site of the project by stakeholders, explained that the project was important to the State and the country at large.
The South-East Shippers Council boss, led officials of Eastgate Inland Terminal Limited, the project concessionaires and BRJ and Associates, an American firm and major partners of Eastgate on the project, to inspect the site prior to commencement of work, which is expected soon.
The tour also enabled the NSC to reassure Abia State and the host community, about its seriousness to actualize the project, which was conceptualized about 12 years ago. Okolue, who was excited that the project would be actualized during her tenure, as NSC zonal coordinator, thanked Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for his enthusiasm in ensuring that the project was realized during his tenure as governor of Abia State.
She also praised the effectiveness of Dan Nwankwo, chairman of the State Project Implementation Committee and Ginger Onwusibe, chairman of Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, for their commitments; adding that the chairman of the implementation committee was so deeply committed about the project.
Okolue also thanked Eastgate and their partners for being pushful; also thanking the land owners for providing land for the project; saying that they would not regret their decision to donate their land for such a project.
According to the NSC southeast zonal coordinator, the project was for the benefit of Abia State, people of the South East geopolitical zone and Nigeria, as a whole.
The Aba Inland Container Depot, situated at Avor Ntigha in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State is one of the six proposed ICDs for the six geo-political zones of Nigeria.
Eastgate, concessionaires to the project were issued with a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) in 2008 by the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC); while agreement for commencement of the physical development of the project was signed in 2009.
All the parties to the project, including the Federal Government, Abia State government, Nigeria Shippers Council and the concessionaire – Eastgate Inland Terminal Limited, have expressed commitments to ensuring realization of the Aba ICD, believed to be the most viable of the six ICDs proposed for different parts of the country.
The project concessionaire had assured during the ceremony that it would be completed within 30 months. However, that promise remained a mirage until the current move by Governor Ikpeazu to ensure that the project took off. The ICD project was initiated to ease off congestion at the country’s ports, as well as provide fast-track clearing services to importers in the country.
Governor Ikpeazu, while inaugurating the committee, said, it had become expedient, especially as the State Government was vigorously working towards opening up access to trade and commerce for the people.
He affirmed that commerce was one of the pillars of which his administration intended to drive the economic advancement of Abia State in the days ahead; saying that Government would look at the infrastructures and facilities that are already available, and deploy them to the fullest towards the achievement of the agenda that his
administration had set for itself.
The governor noted that the State Government was looking at other options outside crude oil, which price has continued to dwindle, to grow the economy of the State.
