Ilaje AD faults proposed site for Ondo sea-port
From Niyi Bello
PLANS by the Ondo State government to establish a N60 billion deep sea-port at Olokola have been faulted by the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Ilaje Local Council of the state.
The port is to be located in its coastal boundary with Ogun State.
According to the party, the facility, which is to be private-sector driven will not bring the desired development to coastal areas in the state.
A statement by the AD chairman, Mr. Ayo Adeniyi, after a general meeting of the party at the weekend, urged that the port should be sited further inward "preferably at Aiyetoro in Ilaje Local Council of the state".
Adeniyi said: "The recent announcement by Dr. Olusegun Agagu-led government of Ondo State of the establishment of a sea-port at a no-man's land Ogun-Ondo states' boundary town of Olokola do not represent the yearnings and aspirations of our people for development".
The AD argued that whatever infastructural development on the site would still leave the entire Ondo State shoreline (which is the longest in all the littoral states) undeveloped.
It observed that with the ports in Lagos, it was reasonable to suggest that a new port in the South-West should not be located a few kilometres from Lagos to avoid concentrating development within less than 30 per cent of the entire coast in the region.
The AD added that "the siting of the port deep inside Ondo State coastal territory would decongest the Lagos ports and also impact positively on Lagos, Ogun and Ondo states littoral communities".
Adeniyi also urged the Federal Government "to commence the coastal road from Lagos to Akwa Ibom, which will be a catalyst for development of the Niger Delta and coastal Nigeria.
He said the former government of Chief Adebayo Adefarati had begun the construction of the N17 billion Igbokoda-Aieytoro Road to link up the coastal areas with other parts of the state.
Already a memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed between the state government and some investors on the Olokola project.
