ADC’ll build Gelegele, other seaports if elected, Amaechi vows

The African Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has claimed that he oversaw the construction of the Lekki Deep Seaport from start to finish, accusing President Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of taking credit for the project.

Amaechi made the claim on Thursday at an ADC stakeholders’ meeting in Edo State while responding to a question on whether an ADC government would develop the Gelegele Seaport in the state to the standard of the Lekki Deep Seaport, according to Vanguard Newspaper.

The former Minister of Transportation said the construction of several deep seaports was approved under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, although the idea for the Lekki project originated before Buhari’s tenure.

“I built Lekki Deep Seaport from scratch to finish. I finished it completely, but I had resigned to contest for the office of the president, that’s why Sanwo-Olu got Buhari to come and commission it,” he said.

Amaechi alleged that Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu and others claimed to have built the facility despite, according to him, not visiting the site during its construction.

“And when they were commissioning, Sanwo-Olu and others including Tinubu were claiming that they built it. None of them visited it from scratch,” he said.

Explaining the history of the project, Amaechi said Buhari approved the construction of the seaport, while the concept originated under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“Buhari approved the construction of that seaport, but it was essentially an Obasanjo’s idea, even though it was built by Buhari,” he said.

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The former Rivers State governor said the Buhari administration also approved deep seaport projects in Bonny, Akwa Ibom and Warri, but funding challenges prevented some of them from taking off.

He said the proposed Bonny Deep Seaport was designed to have a depth of 18 metres, while the proposed location in Akwa Ibom had a natural depth of between 17 and 18 metres.

Amaechi added that the Warri seaport was approved partly to facilitate the transportation of iron ore from northern Nigeria to Warri.

He said an ADC government would revive the proposed projects and ensure their construction, adding that the cost would be manageable.

“We didn’t quite raise all the money to construct them. Will ADC government do anything? Yes, we will ensure that all those seaports are constructed. They are not too expensive,” he said.

According to Amaechi, an investment of between $400m and $500m could be sufficient to begin construction of the proposed seaports, with expansion carried out subsequently.

He also assured stakeholders that an ADC government would prioritise the development of the Gelegele Seaport in Edo State.

“When ADC government wins, I, as a vice president, will put it on the table for the president to approve,” Amaechi said.