Amaechi, Peterside Appear Before Reps Over Waterways Concession

The House of Representatives on Thursday held a public hearing on the ceding of the nation’s waterways to some foreign companies.


The House of Representatives Committee on Public petitions is probing the planned $195m concession of the nation’s waterways to foreign companies.

Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, and the Director-General of NIMASA, Mr Dakuku Peterside, were among those present at the hearing.

The hearing was, however, adjourned after the committee was informed that the Navy had not received its invitation and was not prepared to respond to questions.

The House of Representatives decided to probe the planned concession on December 7 after some civil society organisations petitioned the Speaker of the House, Mr Yakubu Dogara, over it.

Chairman of the Public Petitions Committee, Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, explained at the time that the petitioners questioned the merit behind giving the concession for the management and provision of security of the waterways to an Israeli security firm when the country had statutory agencies such as the Navy and NIMASA.