S’East Business leaders accuse Shippers’ Council of dumping Aba TTP for the north
The speed with which the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello is pursuing development of transport infrastructure in the Northern corridor in the last few years has been superlative when compared to the quantum silence accorded to South East projects.
Some of the trailer operators who spoke to Business Hilights in the light of Kaduna Dry Port scheme and the recent unveiling of Truck Transit Park (TTP) in Potiskum, decried lack of similar attention by the Shippers’ Council to the Aba TTP.
They said the massive land for the scheme in Aba, Abia State had been lying fallow for years while activities kept going on up north by the Shippers’ Council leadership.
It would be recalled that on Wednesday, Bello supervised the breaking ceremony of the Ultra Modern Truck Transit Park (TTP) in Potiskum where he identified transportation as a critical determinant in the conduct of domestic and international trade, with great impacts on national economic growth and development.
According to him, “Road transportation is the dominant mode of transportation owing to challenges in our rail system, restricted waterways and expensive air travel.
“Road transport accounts for about 90 per cent of freight movement. Therefore, the safety of cargo on the highway must be given a priority,” Bello said.
According to Bello, “TTP is a Modern road transport infrastructure designed for the safety of cargo and standardisation of truck driving.”
Bello noted that “The need to enhance the transport value chain in the country necessitated NSC’s involvement in the project.
“Potiskum is known as a mega hub of heavy truck business especially in the North East region of Nigeria.
“It has a vibrant cattle market which is the largest in sub-saharan Africa and it is a major gate to Cameroon, Chad and Niger Republic.
“Therefore, the prospects of the project are very bright,” he said.
While calling on indigenous investors, multilateral lending institutions and other investors across the globe to invest in the project, the Executive Chairman, Potiskum Local Government Council, Salisu Muktari, expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for his administrative policies which the state had benefited from.
Yobe State Government and NSC are partnering under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement to construct the transportation hub.
The project falls under the States’ Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Industry and the State government had provided 50 hectares of land as site for the park.
