The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has said that the contractors for the Lekki Deep Seaport Project should speed up work to enable the government approve all the necessary processes before the next election.
Amaechi said this while inspecting the ongoing construction of the Lekki Deep Seaport Project on Saturday in Lagos.
According to a statement by Director Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Transportation, Eric Ojiekwe the Minister instructed the Nigeria Ports Authority to ensure minimal physical contact since the port will be automated.
The Minister however commend them for the progress of work done so far stating that in less than 5 months alot of Civil work has been done.
“I want to congratulate you for the very huge progress, by the time we came here, there was no Civil works, it was just pure sand , you have tried.
” I am suggesting that if you work day and night you would have gone far and complete the work before commissioning, if the President see it, approval will be easier.
” You need to speed up the work, so we can get approval from the government side before election, process of election will be completed in July because by law, six months to election people start politics, if you wait till that time, you won’t meet anyone in the office.
“If you can assure me that by July you have finished the buildings, get the crane then we can commission it, he said.
Amaechi also instructed that the Director, Railway in the Ministry of Transportation conduct a study on the possibility of linking the Lekki port to Lagos-Ibadan railway.
During the tour of the port, the company highlighted that a truck parking area for 300 trucks is being provided for, to avoid haphazard parking of trucks or parking on the road when the Port goes fully operational.
At the Terminal area, the Customs building is being expanded into a full fledged inspection area for proper inspection before trucks are allowed to evacuate the area. There’s also an area for impounded goods.
Construction is ongoing for the reef of containers, erection of Light masts which will be 25metres high, so the whole area will be fully lit 24hrs daily. Dredging and reclamation work is at 90 percent completion, while the Lekki free port terminal has begun recruitment for its operations.
