Amaechi promises to build Gelegele and other seaports if ADC wins

The vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Rotimi Amaechi, said he supervised the building of the Lekki Deep Seaport from the beginning to the end. He accused President Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of taking credit for the project.

Amaechi spoke on Thursday at an ADC stakeholders’ meeting in Edo State. He answered a question about whether an ADC government would develop the Gelegele Seaport to match the Lekki Deep Seaport, according to Vanguard Newspaper.

Amaechi, who was once the Minister of Transportation, said several deep seaports were approved during former President Muhammadu Buhari's administration. He noted that the idea for the Lekki project started before Buhari became president.

"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.

He claimed that Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu, and others said they built the facility even though, as he pointed out, they did not visit 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 added.

Amaechi went on to explain the background of the project. He stated that Buhari approved the construction of the seaport, but the idea came from 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.

The former governor of Rivers State mentioned that the Buhari administration also approved deep seaport projects in Bonny, Akwa Ibom, and Warri. However, he said funding issues stopped some of them from starting.

He explained that the proposed Bonny Deep Seaport was meant to have a depth of 18 metres. The proposed site in Akwa Ibom had a natural depth of between 17 and 18 metres.

Amaechi also said the Warri seaport was approved to help transport iron ore from northern Nigeria to Warri.

He stated that an ADC government would bring these projects back to life and make sure they are built. He added 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.

Amaechi mentioned that an investment of between $400 million and $500 million could be enough to start building the proposed seaports, with more expansion later.

He also promised stakeholders that an ADC government would focus on developing 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.