Abia, Eastgate move to realise Aba ICD
July 16, 2015 | Filed under: Breaking News,Maritime | Author: GODFREY OFURUM

The long awaited Aba Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Avor Intigha, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State, will soon be realised following interest shown by the new administration in the state, BusinessDay has gathered.

According to a source, preparation for the construction and operation of the facility is almost completed by the Abia State government and Eastgate, concessionaire to the project, as the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has also been billed to meet with officials of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Federal Government’s ports economic regulator, to discuss modalities for the realisation of the project.

The new government in Abia is expected to realise the project for the benefit of the people, as the multiplier effect of such a facility cannot be over-emphasised, the source said.

The ICD project was initiated to ease off congestion at the country’s ports as well as fast track clearing services to importers in the country, of which Aba has a large number.

Out of the six ICDs recommended to be built across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, the Aba ICD was the first to be issued with a certificate of occupancy, a feat Adamu Biu, former CEO of NSC, observed was as a result of the good relationship that existed between the host community and the concessionaire, as well as the doggedness of the management of Eastgate to realise the project.

Based on the arrangement, the Abia State government is to provide infrastructure and other logistics for Eastgate to move in and develop as well as manage the terminal.

Eastgate was issued with a certificate of occupancy in 2008 by the NSC, while the agreement for the commencement of the physical development of the project was signed in 2009.

All the parties to the project, including the Federal and Abia State governments, NSC and the concessionaire – Eastgate Inland Terminal Limited, expressed their commitment to ensuring the realisation of the Aba ICD, believed to be the most viable of the six ICDs proposed for different parts of the country.

The project, which is to be executed under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, BusinessDay gathered, has been stalled due to civil service protocols, a situation a source said would, not had cropped up if the project was to be executed by the concessionaire alone.

BusinessDay also gathered that the project estimated to gulp about N70 million, would now be executed at about N100 million, no thanks to the global economic meltdown, which resulted to further devaluation of the naira.

http://businessdayonline.com/2015/07/abia-eastgate-move-to-realise-aba-icd/#.Vaf9i9oo_Fo

Its a good development......with the way governor is moving its progress all the way