The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has denied cancelling the $2.6 billion Badagry deep seaport project.
NPA Managing Director, Hadiza Usman, told Nigerian Tribune on Monday that what was cancelled was the 25 Years Port Development Master Plan which was initially poorly done by the consultant handling the project.
Mrs Usman said NPA is working out procedures to re-award the contract for the development of the plan after the initial master plan was badly done.
She said: “With Badagry Deep seaport, the Outline Business Case (OBC) was reviewed. Some of the responsibilities of government was taken and put in the OBC for Badagry port. I have objected to that and written to the Federal Ministry of Transportation on this.
“I have also written letters to the promoters of the Badagry Deep Seaport, telling them that roles like marine services are responsibilities of government as stipulated within the Port Act. So, they cannot take it away and say they are going to provide such services.
“We also understand that we will need a (25-year) Port Development Master Plan. When I assumed office, I inherited a consultant that was supposed to do a (25-year) Port Development Master Plan, but the consultant did a very bad job.
“When we took the job to the consultant that did the projects Terms of Reference (TOR), our internal people looked at it and said it wasn’t good enough. Even the consultant that did the TOR confirmed that the job wasn’t properly done.
“So, because of these issues, we cancelled the contract, and the projects’ promoters took us to court. We are currently in arbitration. Now we are working on re-awarding the contract.”
