The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of the Baro Inland Port has summoned Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, and National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Managing Director, Bola Oyebamiji, to appear before it over alleged anomalies surrounding the multi-billion-naira project.
The committee, led by Saidu Abdullahi, issued the summons during a session in Abuja, directing NIWA to provide all relevant documents relating to the planning, construction, handover, and current state of the port.
Abdullahi said the committee wants to know how much was paid to the contractor and the financial breakdown of the project. He stressed that the project cannot be allowed to waste away despite the billions already spent on it.
“This is a very serious matter. We cannot allow a project that has gulped several billions of naira to go to waste. This House will not accept it. We have a responsibility to the Nigerian people to ensure that this kind of waste does not continue unchecked,” Abdullahi said.
The lawmakers expressed disappointment over inconsistencies in claims about the port’s completion and usability, questioning why a facility claimed to be completed and handed over remains idle with no evidence of cargo movement or road access.
NIWA attributed the port’s non-operation to severe access limitations, siltation of waterways, vandalized rail links, and security vulnerabilities, despite the project’s physical completion.
The committee has given NIWA and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy seven days to submit all relevant documents and has resolved to pay a follow-up visit to the Baro Port for further independent assessment and verification.
The committee also demanded that agencies that failed to attend the meeting, including the Ministry of Works and Nigeria Railway Corporation, must ensure they attend the next one.
