Gelegele Seaport And The Buhari Presidency’s Legacy Agenda! Being A Maiden Edition Of A Compendium Of Desirable Infrastructures For President Muhammadu Buhari’s Democratic Regime; By Collins Enoyogiere – Chairman, Edo Unity League

By Edo Unity League

Mr. President Sir,
In recognition of the innate wisdom in the common Nigerian parlance “No man is an island” I have taken it upon myself, like some patriotic minded Nigerians to outline (by way of proposition) sustainable ideas and programs that will herald the much touted CHANGE of the largest political party in Africa – the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal Government, led by Gen. MuhammaduBuhari GCFR. I also appreciate that there are prenumciametoes (basic principles) that must be considered before articulate infrastructural propositions are dispatched to the would-be-executor. This piece has made far reaching judgment in that regard. Gelegele seaport is in fact, the most sacrosanct infrastructural masterpiece that OUGHT to be in place for a revolutionary leadership agenda of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to be presciently consolidated in the first place.

The viability of any state is measured by its Internally Generated Revenuers’ (IGR) potentials; and until the revalidation and subsequent inauguration of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as Governor of Edo State on the 11th of November 2008; via long-drawn tribunal litigation, Edo State revenue was a myth rather than a matter of records and audit. This is because, successive regimes were dolling out revenue collection bates to their “friends and well-wishers” as if the State was their personal estate; while subjugating the state’s budgets at the mercies of federal allocations.

Eventually, the State’s Board of Internal Revenue came to light and discernable publichave attested to the efficacy of the (BIR) based on its compliance with international best practices of accounting and auditing; including prolific payment of tax remittance mechanisms; which has brought the state to a dependable level of internal revenue. Paradoxically, Edo State has shown that with a people -oriented resolve, it is possible to raise IGR and launch a holistic-chain of infrastructures in all sectors of governance; contrary to the make-believe tendencies of past regimes who based their infantile governance attitude on poor IGR and skewed federal allocations.

As at the time of Oshiomhole’s inauguration, if the Gelegele seaport was in place, a lot of die-hard public revenues would have been saved because of the proximity to transport construction hardware’s from abroad, through the heavily congested Lagos seaports to the ancient City of Benin. in view of the Benin Storm Water project (aimed at de-seating all erosion collection points from Benin City through a mechanized drainage system); the agro-allied industries and other manufacturing industries that have laid foundation for their take-off in Edo State; as well as neighboring States of Ondo, Kogi, Ekiti, and Osun states; it has become expedient to passionately appeal to Mr. President (Gen. MuhammaduBuhari) to give effect to the pre-existing panel reports set up by the Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa YarAdua’s regimes which acknowledged the indefatigability, desirability, and sustainability of the port to the industrial and commercial aspirations of these States (primary beneficiaries) and other states (secondary beneficiaries). Whether the profiteers of the over-congested Lagos ports like it or not; no country that seeks industrial or commercial turnaround will close its eyes to ports establishment and development.

Nigerian roads stand to enjoy longer life span if we increase our sea ports; the precious lives; priceless goods and services that are destroyed daily by incidences of road transport could be saved; and above all, the projected revenues generation that will accompany the Gelegele seaport for the development of Edo state particularly, and the Federal Government (by way of Federal Inland taxes) will be dispensed for the interests of Nigerian people. For me, articles and other mundane conspiracies of retrogressive elements that are anti-Gelegele seaport, should be radically ignored or dismissedbecause of their parochiality and tendency to create an anathema to the infrastructural development of Niger Delta people. I stand to be corrected, President Buhari or the National Assembly may order a referendum to determine the aspiration and resolves of our people for this golden seaport.

Although a certain cabal that profiteers from the over-congested Logos Ports have been allegedly inducing members of various fact-finding panel committees on Gelegele seaport, albeit fruitlessly; as well as hiring of retrogressive-article professionals to mischievously and surreptitiously jettison the incontrovertible justification for the dredging and commissioning of the Port; because they fear that their flanks will be exposed, and more importantly, they will lose lump sums of their Personal-Internal Revenues (PIR),which they make at the expense of many business minded Nigerians - whose businesses and finances have been subjected to all forms of drains and disguised-criminal exploitations, as a result of the hopelessness that characterizes the Lagos Ports traffic every day. I humbly anticipates that a transparent governance regime that the Buhari’s Government is touted to represent; will courageously retire these exploitative cabals and bail the Gelegele seaport from their chauvinistic subjugation.

As a Christian, I know of a fact that God almighty and the ancestors of Niger-Delta region, the South West and Kogi state that stand to maximally benefit from this patriotic enterprise by the Buhari Federal Government, will usher the requisite resources and technical know-how to deal decisively with the historic Trans-Atlantic Port; and restore an integrated-sense of belonging to the primary and secondary beneficiaries of this port. AMEN!!!!!!!