•Okays Onne Rivers seaport for shipments
From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has advised that the seaport at Onne, Rivers State, should be used as an alternate seaport to enable Igbo traders move their investments back to the South East.
Spokesperson of the group, Emma Powerful, in a statement, said the patronage of the Onne seaport would ease the importation and exportation of goods in the zone.
This, he equally said, would speed up the industrialisation of the zone.
Powerful said the economic policies of the Federal Government has frustrated the businesses of Igbo such as the earlier shutdown of the functional seaports in the zone.
He said: “IPOB expresses concern over the political and economic strangulation policies by the Nigeria State that have frustrated the investment and development of Biafra since 1999.
“Among the wicked economic policies was the shutting down of functional seaports in Biafra territory, which includes Onne, Warri and Calabar, but leaving Lagos seaports as the only functional ports.
“The consequences of such greedy and selfishness policy created a population surge nightmare and uncontrollable human and vehicular traffic in Lagos. The ugly situation in Lagos and the ports therein has forced the Nigeria government to revive Onne Port.
“Currently, Onne port at Igweocha is partially functional, though with some operational and management hitches that will be solved soon.
“Be as it may, IPOB calls on Ndigbo importers and exporters to route their imports and exports through the Onne port. We advise our people to ignore the state imposed operational hitches but to push through to break the state imposed barriers by patronising the Onne port.
“Ndigbo are freedom fighters in every aspect, including in business. With time, those imposed barriers will be eliminated by our consistency to import and export through Onne port.
“No Igbo importer should think they will shut down Lagos State ports or make the operations of Onne port very effective and efficient, like Lagos ports. Igbo are barrier breakers by God’s grace.
“We should use our divine wisdom and make the Onne port what we desire it to be. The proximity of Onne port to the coastal and hinterland of Biafra is better than transporting from Lagos to the East,” Powerful said.