FG Flags Off Dredging Of Oguta Lake, Orashi River to the Atlantic Ocean

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President Muhammadu Buhari flagged off the hydrographic survey and dredging of Oguta Lake and Orashi River in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo on Thursday.

The dredging of the river will link Imo to Degema in Rivers and the Atlantic Ocean.

Speaking at the ceremony on the bank of the Oguta/Orashi River, President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by His Vice, Yemi Osinbajo, said the project would connect waterways to hinterlands and expand Nigeria’s shipping and agricultural sectors.

He added that it would also expand Nigeria‘s free trade zone and facilitate her contribution to trade in Africa and the world.

He enjoined Nigerians to cooperate with the Imo government and with the Nigerian Navy to ensure that the project came to fruition.

“Today marks an important milestone in the economic development of Imo; the Southeast and Nigeria at large and could not have come at a better time than now,’’ he said.

In his remarks, Imo’s Gov. Hope Uzodimma thanked the President for his support in the recovery of Imo from the hands of bandits.

He said the project would be executed through a public-private partnership and would create additional employment opportunities for Imo people.

“This project is a harbinger of several other multifaceted projects encapsulated in the socioeconomic development of Imo with the capacity to equip the Southeast with a robust and self-sufficient economy.

“We shall establish an industrial cluster in the area to aid economic activities. Imo and the private sector will fund the project in synergy with the Nigerian Navy,’’ he said.