The African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has pledged that an ADC-led government would construct the proposed Gelegele Seaport in Edo State and revive other deep seaport projects across the country.
Amaechi made the pledge on Thursday at an ADC stakeholders’ meeting in Edo State, where he was asked whether the party would develop the Gelegele Seaport to the standard of the Lekki Deep Seaport.
The former Minister of Transportation claimed that he supervised the construction of the Lekki facility from start to finish, accusing President Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of taking credit for the project.
“I built Lekki Deep Seaport from scratch to finish. I finished it completely, but I had resigned to contest for the office of the president, that’s why Sanwo-Olu got Buhari to come and commission it,” he said.
Amaechi alleged that Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu and other political figures claimed responsibility for the project despite, according to him, not visiting the site during its construction.
“And when they were commissioning, Sanwo-Olu and others including Tinubu were claiming that they built it. None of them visited it from scratch,” he said.
Explaining the project’s history, Amaechi said the construction of the Lekki Deep Seaport was approved under former President Muhammadu Buhari, although the idea originated during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“Buhari approved the construction of that seaport, but it was essentially an Obasanjo’s idea, even though it was built by Buhari,” he said.
Amaechi Lists Other Proposed Deep Seaports
The former Rivers State governor said the Buhari administration also approved deep seaport projects in Bonny, Akwa Ibom and Warri, but funding constraints prevented some of them from progressing.
According to Amaechi, the proposed Bonny Deep Seaport was designed to have a depth of 18 metres, while the proposed site in Akwa Ibom had a natural depth of between 17 and 18 metres.
He added that the proposed Warri seaport was intended, in part, to facilitate the transportation of iron ore from northern Nigeria to Warri.
Amaechi said an ADC-led government would ensure the construction of the proposed facilities, arguing that the projects were affordable.
“We didn’t quite raise all the money to construct them. Will ADC government do anything? Yes, we will ensure that all those seaports are constructed. They are not too expensive,” he said.
He estimated that between $400 million and $500 million could be sufficient to commence construction of the proposed seaports, with further expansion undertaken subsequently.
Addressing the specific question about Edo State, Amaechi assured stakeholders that an ADC government would prioritise the development of the Gelegele Seaport.
“When ADC government wins, I, as a vice president, will put it on the table for the president to approve,” he said.
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