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’ full operational capacity.
The call came from Engr. Anthony Okoh, President of WACCIMA and the Delta Association of Chambers of Commerce (DACCIMA), on Thursday during a courtesy visit to the Chambers’ secretariat in Effurun, Delta State, 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 the region’s employment and economic activity would be significantly impacted by their optimal operation.
“People in the South-South have a tendency to compromise on issues.” It is a problem of attitude. “We need to shift our perspective and cease making concessions to the government,” he declared.
He went on to relate the appalling state of port operations to the poor state of roads throughout the southern region, pointing out that the roads were initially built with anticipated traffic volumes in mind.
According to Okoh, “the roads give way when the pressure exceeds the estimated frequency, it becomes a chain reaction.”
He said that building an effective railway network to connect the Niger Delta states to other important economic corridors would alleviate the pressure of heavy-duty trucks on the highways and improve corporate connectivity.
Additionally, Okoh bemoaned what he called the organized private sector’s futile attempts to consult with Sheriff Oborevwori, the governor of Delta State, on ways to maximize the state’s economic potential.
“The work we do here is voluntary. We forfeit our money and effort. We occasionally hear that our governor is traveling to China or Brazil for business meetings, but the organized private sector is not involved,” he stated.
He claims that in order to persuade the state government to accept the development proposals from the private sector, WACCIMA intends to ask its national leadership to engage with it.
“We are not hostile and we are lawful. Although we have members who are capable of engaging in large-scale mechanized farming, the government does not provide us with the necessary assistance. He continued, “Instead, we receive support from other private sector actors.”
Okoh proposed that the government may assist the organized private sector by serving as an insurance policy.
He mentioned a plastic recycling project that had previously been proposed to the state government but had failed, pointing out that although there were many good ideas that could improve the state’s economy, the difficulty lay in the government’s ability to put them into practice.
Earlier, Chairman of the NUJ Warri Correspondents’ Chapel, Comrade Okiemute Okpomor, who led the team, highlighted the need for closer collaboration between the media and WACCIMA to help drive economic growth in Delta State.
