BY AMOS TAUNA, KADUNA – President Muhammadu Buhari has warned Customs and Port officials frustrating business activities at Inland dry ports across the country to desist from their illicit activities or face the music.
He however assured that the Federal Government will not renege on its resolve to link commercial and state capitals to the railway system as part of conscious efforts to boost Nigeria’s socio-economic growth and development on a sustainable basis.
The President, who spoke at the commissioning of 10 additional coaches and two locomotives to the standard gauge railway line in Kaduna on Thursday, said government’s pledge to link all major cities to the rail system remains one of the benchmarks for measuring the performance of his administration.
“Let me once again reassure Nigerians that we are strongly committed to linking all major commercial and production centers as well as state capitals with railway system, as a way of bringing about rapid socio-economic development and improving the lives of our people as well as encourage national integration”, the President said.
According to him, “This is not only a statement of intentions, but a benchmark which we are using to measure the performance of our administration. Our resolve to develop our railway system to a world-class standard remains a top priority.
“Additional critical projects include the rail line from Lagos to Calabar, which branches off to Benin, Agbor and Onitsha, Port-Harcourt to Maiduguri. Standard gauge rail lines will branch off to Owerri, Awka, Abakaliki, Yola and Damaturu and Kano to Kazaure, Daura, Katsina, Jibiya to link with Maradi in Niger Republic as part of regional railway inter-connectivity.
“Other important projects which have been approved is the procurement of more locomotives, coaches, workshops and equipment that will be used for new standard gauge lines. By way of encouraging private sector participation in our railway development, negotiations for concession of the narrow gauge railways with a consortium are in progress.”
He explained that that government is “looking forward to a more efficient train service on the narrow gauge lines to be driven by the private sector. It is on the basis of this, that we are creating a more conducive environment for private sector, especially by strengthening our legal and regular trade frameworks” adding; “To achieve these, am using this opportunity to solicit for support of all relevant stakeholders and especially the National Assembly and our development partners in realizing these objectives.”
The President further said; “I commissioned and flagged off the Abuja-Kaduna train service in July last year, which was Nigeria’s first ever outstanding train service. I am glad that this service has become very useful to commuters and has even become the preferred form of transport for the commuters for journey between Abuja and Kaduna.”
He praised the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi for his tireless efforts towards the development of the railway system and reiterated government’s determination to vigorously pursue economic development through the implementation of the 25 year strategic railway master plan.
Also speaking at the Kaduna Inland Dry Port, President Buhari stated that besides Kaduna, six other Inland Dry Ports in Kano, Jos, Ibadan, Aba, Funtua and Maiduguri have been gazetted and are currently at various stages of completion.
Expressing happiness that the Kaduna Inland Dry Port is the first proper Inland Dry Port to be completed among the seven earmarked for various parts of the country, the President said; “It remains for Customs and Ports officials to make these facilities work and not to frustrate business, commercial and industrial enterprises with unnecessary bureaucracy and inflicting on them delays and hardships, thereby defeating the object of the whole exercise as has happened in the past. Make these facilities work this time.”
For him, all relevant stakeholders, across the public and private sectors, particularly Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Shipping Companies and Agencies, Seaport Terminal Operators, Clearing and Forwarding Agents, Road Haulers and importers and exporters must optimally utilize the facility as a major revenue earner for the country.
“The hinterland business community has waited for too long for such facility that has tremendous potentials to ease the way of doing international business for the interior based importers and exporters.
President Buhari described the Inland Dry Ports as key in government’s economic development efforts, stressing that “As ports of origin for exports and ports of destination for imports, the Inland Dry Ports will accelerate the implementation of our economic diversification policy.”
“The concept of Inland Dry Port has gained widespread importance with the tremendous changes in international transportation as a result of the container revolution and the introduction of door-to-door delivery of cargo. It provides importers and exporters located within the nation’s hinterland, especially industrial and commercial outfits, access to shipping and port services without necessarily visiting the seaports”, he said.
The President, who applauded the Kaduna State Government; Federal Ministry of Transportation; Nigerian Shippers’ Council; the hinterland importers and exporters on the epoch making occasion, said; “I commend the initiative of Nigerian Shippers’ Council towards promoting the provision of these modern transport infrastructural facilities and urge the Concessionaires of the other six Dry Ports to emulate the Concessionaires of the Kaduna Dry Port by accelerating work on theirs so that, in the next few months, they too can be commissioned.”
He stated that congestion at the seaport and traffic gridlock in the port complex will hopefully be checked with the full complement of the seven Dry Ports, just as it will engender ease of doing business while drastically abridging the cost of transportation.
