Harboursandport.com: Lagos - The N3.5 billion investment by Duncan Maritime Ventures, DMV for the Jos Inland Container Depot, ICD has been bought back by the Federal Government the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC Hassan Bello, has said.
Bello noted that has a result, the federal government is presently seeking new investment for the project. The NSC boss who disclosed this at a stakeholders meeting in Lagos said the decision is part of government measures to ensure that all ICDs
in the country becomes operational.
Bello who was represented by the Director in charge of the Inland Transport Services of the Council
at the meeting, Akintunde Makinde, stated that the meeting was a directive from
the Federal Government and mandate given by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi
Amechi that all Inland Container Depot Projects, ICD in the country must be
completed and commissioned as soon as possible.
He noted that the Council promotes and facilitates the establishment of
Inland Container Depot, ICD in Nigeria on the basis of Public Private
Partnership, PPP.
The ICD, he stated, are to bring shipping services to the doorstep of
shippers, assist in decongesting the seaport and revive and modernize the
railway.
One of the representatives of the Plateau State Government, Ezekiel
Gomos, said the State Government is enthusiastic about the project and the
opportunities the ICD will bring for the economic development of its
people.
David J. Wuyep, stated that the Plateau State Government seeks joint
collaboration to make ICD functional, as a State, they are ready and prepare as
the issues of insecurity has been tackled.
In view of this, the Managing Director of Duncan Maritime Ltd, Bartho
Nyelong said their inability to bring about the implementation of the project was
due to certain challenges that made them take such a decision.
The representative of the Plateau State Government thanked Duncan
Maritime Venture for their commitment to the project thus far, in achieving a common objective for the States.
Recall
that Vanguard Maritime Report had earlier reported that a source in DMV had
said that “We are not getting any form of support
from the Plateau State Government. We have already started the discussion with the
federal government.
“You remember what happened during Jonah
Janga’s administration when they brought a bulldozer to level the work we have
done at the ICD.
“Because we are not getting
any support from Plateau State government, so we held a meeting with the federal government last month.
“They gave us some options
concerning the ICD. One, whether we will transfer our shareholding to them or
if we really want to do the project we have to show them that we have the money
down to do the project because they said the president said he wants to
commission it by June next year (2020).
“We told them that we have
N3.5 billion on the project so far and that is why we stood by the project all
these while,” the source noted.
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