The Onne community of Rivers State has congratulated Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT) on its successful start of operations in Onne Port’s Berths 9-11.
Chairman of Onne council of chiefs, Chief S.N. Jiala, who spoke recently on behalf of the paramount ruler of Onne, King Dr J.D. Osaronu, said the entry of OMT in Onne Port is a major milestone for the Onne community and the country’s economy as it helps break the economic decline in recent years of Onne Port, with the fall in business activity and loss of thousands of jobs.
He said, ‘‘Berths 9-11 have been ready for operations since 2013 but were not used as none of the existing companies in Onne Port had the capital, courage, desire and fresh ideas needed to bring activity and jobs to these quays in the port. The Onne community is therefore very pleased that Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) was able to attract new investors to the port and that OMT has committed large resources to developing the port, already investing more than $30 million in equipment and infrastructure development as well as facilitating knowledge and technology transfer.’’
Also, the director of protocols, Onne Community, Chief J.T. Ogosu, said it is critical for the long-term prosperity of Onne, that new companies like OMT are allowed entry to invest in Onne and bring in capital, new energy and fresh ideas when other existing companies are cutting back on their activities and not looking to grow.
He said, ‘‘Indeed, companies like OMT and partnerships with Nigerian government and community organisations is the blueprint for Onne’s future development, and we invite other companies to come to Onne to benefit from excellent infrastructure and a skilled and committed workforce, just OMT has proven it can be done.’’
Also, the palace coordinator, Prince Dr Jima Osaronu, said as the host community for OMT, Onne is a key partner for OMT and the community will work tirelessly to make this new terminal a success.
‘‘We look forward to continuing our partnership with OMT and expanding the work to include corporate social responsibility activities in the wider Onne Community,’’ he said.