WACCIMA Urges Stakeholders to Resolve Issues Affecting Delta Ports Operations
Stakeholders in the South-South have been urged by the Warri Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (WACCIMA) to cease making concessions on matters that jeopardize the Delta ports’ ability to operate to their full potential.
Engineer made the call. Anthony Okoh, President of WACCIMA and the Delta Association of Chambers of Commerce (DACCIMA), on Thursday at the Chambers’ secretariat in Effurun, Delta State, during a courtesy visit by members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Warri Correspondents’ Chapel.
Okoh reaffirmed WACCIMA’s long-standing demand that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) fully revitalize the Delta ports, emphasizing that their optimal operation will have a significant influence on employment and regional economic activity.
“People in the South-South have a tendency to make compromises. It’s an attitude problem. We need to shift our perspective and cease making concessions to the government,” he declared.
He further linked the poor state of port operations to the deplorable condition of roads across the southern region, explaining that the roads were originally designed based on projected traffic volumes.
“When the pressure exceeds the estimated frequency, it becomes a chain reaction and the roads give way,” Okoh noted.
To address the challenge, he advocated the construction of an efficient railway network linking the Niger Delta states to other major business corridors, arguing that this would reduce the burden of heavy-duty vehicles on the roads and enhance business connectivity.
Okoh also lamented what he described as unsuccessful attempts by the organised private sector to engage Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, on strategies to harness the state’s economic potential.
“The work we do here is voluntary. We give up money and time. Sometimes we hear that our governor is in Brazil or China for business engagements, yet the organised private sector is not involved,” he said.
According to him, WACCIMA plans to invite its national leadership to interface with the state government in order to convince it of the need to adopt the private sector’s development proposals.
“We are lawful and not confrontational. Although some of our members are capable of engaging in large-scale mechanized farming, the government does not provide us with the necessary assistance. Rather, we receive assistance from other private sector players,” he continued.
Okoh suggested that government could play a supportive role by acting as a form of insurance for the organised private sector.
He recalled a plastic recycling project earlier presented to the state government which failed to materialise, noting that while there were many viable ideas capable of boosting the state’s economy, the challenge lay in their practical implementation by government.
Earlier, Chairman of the NUJ Warri Correspondents’ Chapel, Comrade Okiemute Okpomor, who led the delegation, emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between the media and WACCIMA to help drive economic growth in Delta State.
