Onne(Rivers), August 13, 2026- A coalition of operators at the Onme Seaport in Rivers State have decried poor facilities at the port.
The group said the deplorable state of facility is currently hindering smooth business activities at the port.
The operators include Association of Nigeria Licenced Custom Agents, (ANLCA), National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders.
Others are (NAGAFF), Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, (MWUN)among others.
Speaking at a press conference at Onne, the group called on the Ministry of Trade and Blue Economy and other relevant government agencies to address the poor road and other disturbing concerns at the Port.
In a memo read by, Chief Ifeanyi Nsikak, Onne branch Chairman of ANLCA the group accused the Nigeria Ports Authority(NPA) at the Onne port of failing to provide basic parking space and holding bays for trucks awaiting loading.
“Of particular note is the unabated illegal parking of trucks along the Onne road.
“Also worrisome is the imminent chaos occasioned by the NPA’s failure to honour it’s commitment to provide adequate facilities.
“NPA’s failure to provide holding bays before enforcement of the E-Call up system is a major operational default that must not be ignored,” he said.
Discribing the connecting routes within the seaport as death traps, the group said the road had continued to endanger lives, destroy goods and crippled legitimate business in the area.
The operators also called for the suspension of the E-Call up system where each truck lifting container out of the port is required to pay a levy of N16,500 pending when parking lots and Holding bays are provided.
They also vowed to to resist the enforcement of the E-Call Up from Monday, August 17,2026 until their concerns gets adequate attention.
The operators further explained that no fewer than N487 billion had been generated by the Onne Command Nigeria Customs between Jan. to July ,2026.
They however, wondered why the NPA as the regulatory agency could not utilize a fraction of the fund to fix facilities at the port.
Lending his voice to the outcry of the operators, Comrade Uche Ogbu, chairman of the Truck Owners and Drivers Union at the port lamented the loses his union members incur in the course of their business.
He vowed that as from Monday August 17, 2026 his members will commence a strike action to drive home their demand for better facilities at the port.
Chairman of the Onne Youth Congress, Comrade Obari Johnson who spoke in solidarity with the operators also narrated the difficulties the host community people are facing with the indiscriminate parking of trucks along the roads within the community as a result of lack of designated holding bays for the trucks
He expressed support to whatever action the operators may decide to use to draw attention to the crisis in the port.
Also lending his voice, Chairman of the Onne Youth Congress, Comrade Obari Johnson who spoke in solidarity with the operators narrated the difficulties presently confronting the host community.
According to him, the challenges of indiscriminate parking of trucks along the roads within the community was due to the absence of designated holding bays for the trucks
He expressed support to whatever action the operators may decide to use to draw attention to their plight
