By Banji Ayoola
At last, the Federal Government on Wednesday approved the establishment of a deep sea port in Ondo State.
The approval, which Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu described as cheering and a parting gift by President Muhammadu Buhari, was given at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council, held at the State House in Abuja.
President Buhari presided over the meeting.
Also, the meeting approved the operating license for the Port.
It was gathered that the memo for the approval was presented by the Federal Ministry of Transportation through the Minister of Transportation, Eng Muazu Jaji Sambo, following years of efforts by the Ondo State Government to establish a deep sea port, first at Olokola which failed to materialise since 2004.
Akeredolu, upon his assumption of office as Governor in 2017, renewed the efforts which became invigorated with the appointment of an indigene of Ondo State, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, as Minister of State in the Federal Ministry of Transportation in July 2022, just about 10 months ago.
The governor had submitted the proposal for the establishment of the Port to the Buhari administration, backed up by a series of due diligence undertaken by both the State and Federal Governments.
Reacting to the approval, the governor thanked the President and other members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and said the approval was “an impressive parting gift from the Buhari administration.”
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, he noted that implementing the port project is very important to his administration.
According to the statement: “The Port Ondo is one of the most important projects of this administration. We are determined and committed to actualising this project that will set our state on the path of economic prosperity.
“Our dream for this port of Ondo is to serve as a conduit for our goods, agricultural produce, and very soon, our bitumen.
“It is the goal of this administration to ensure that the potential of Ondo State is maximized and that all necessary infrastructure required to make this a reality is put in place to achieve this.
“We thank the minister of Transportation, Hon. Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, for his interventions and commitment. Our state is very grateful for this yeoman service. History will be kind to him.
“We equally noted with candor, the role of the Minister of State for Transportation, our own, Prince Ademola Adegoroye. Your impactful struggles and efforts have started yielding enduring fruit of development. Indeed, you have proven to be a true representative of your people. Your doggedness is admirable.
“We also appreciate everyone who has, one way or the other, contributed to the process of getting this approval. It is just a phase. We expect that this development will renew our vigor and drive our passion to deliver the Port Ondo project.
“As we say, we are planting a tree, under which shade we may not rest. Nevertheless, it is a worthy cause for the generation yet unborn. We are committed to any effort that targets the good of the next generation.”
By the projection of the State Government, the deep seaport project, which was initiated by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, administration of the late Dr. Olusegun Kokumo Agagu in 2004, will generate over N500 billion in investment to the Ilaje host communities in Ilaje Local Government Area, its site.
Already, the Akeredolu administration has embarked on studies on the project which are being handled by local and international consultants.
Also, it has met the stakeholders including traditional rulers and representatives of the community; consultants to the project; Community-Based Organisations; and representatives of the Federal Government and State Ministry of Environment on the Environmental Site Investment Assessment and Resettlement Action Plan for the project.
In fact, Akeredolu had told a stakeholders forum in Akure: “The deep seaport and the industrial city project will attract massive investment to the State in particular and Nigeria in general.
“The one singular project that will change this State totally is the port. Building the port alone will bring about N500 billion in economic activities to that area.
“This is the most serious business and important project we want to embark on as a government. Every other thing becomes secondary. We have spent millions of naira on the required studies. We don’t have the money but we will set aside as many projects as we can to get this port done so that the quality will meet the standard expected of us by the Federal Government.
“For us to build this Port of Ondo, there are three levels to this effort. There is the Federal Government level, which the State is managing and we believe that we are making reasonable progress. There is work to be done level, and we have spent millions of naira on the required studies, bringing in local and international consultants. Another effort by this administration is to make sure there is a conducive atmosphere for the consultants to do their work in the affected communities, and that is where our traditional rulers need to come in.”
He had also assured affected communities whose property, farmlands, and means of livelihood would be affected by the construction of the seaport of adequate compensation and relocation to comfortable sites. This, he said, is why the government places a premium on the processes and procedures of the Environmental Site Investment Assessment and the Resettlement Action Plan.
On his own, the Special Adviser Development and Investment and Chief Executive Officer, Ondo State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA), Boye Oyewumi, said the port, upon completion, will be a game changer not just for the State but the country.
The site of the proposed Port of Ondo, which also has an industrial city with Free Trade Zone status, measures 2,771.2 hectares. The site is accessible from Ore through a new dual carriageway, which will be constructed from Araromi to Lekki in Lagos and when completed it will take only 45 minutes from the port to Lagos.
