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President Olusegun Obasanjo has pledged that the Federal Government would make funds available for the dredging and conversion of the Oguta blue lake to a full scale inland waterway.

President Olusegun Obasanjo has pledged that the Federal Government would make funds available for the dredging and conversion of the Oguta blue lake to a full scale inland waterway.

This, he said, was part of FG's plan at easing the transportation problem of people of the state.

Obasanjo said the project, in addition to increasing the revenue base of the state, was important for the development of tourism in the state. He made the pledge at Oguta, during a special regatta organised in his honour by the oguta local goverment council under the executive chairman Dr G.U Nwaeze and his deputy chairman Hon Paul c Nzeribe, Earlier in his address, Governor Achike Udenwa of Imo State reminded the president that Oguta was one of the earliest centres of tourism in the Eastern Region of Nigeria.

He remarked that major business concerns like the Royal Niger Company (now UAC), SCOA, John Holt among many others, engaged in commercial enterprises in Igboland and beyond through the Oguta waterway. But he regretted that the facility had been abandoned.

Udenwa said also that the FG had in the 1980s promised to dredge the Oguta waterway, but failed to fulfil the pledge.

He expressed delight that the president had approved and awarded contract for the construction of the Oguta Inland Port architectural designs. According to him, N240 million had been earmarked for the inland port project.

Udenwa condemned the non-participatory posture of oil companies like Shell, Agip, Chevron and Addax in the development of infrastructure in the state.

He said "this situation implies significant loss of revenue and jobs for the host communities."

Obasanjo was later conferred with the Ogbu-Agu title by Oguta traditional chiefs.

From there, various projects ranging from the General Hospital, Umuguma, the new Imo State Broadcasting Corporation's 30 kilowatts transmitter, were commissioned by the Head of State.

At the commissioning of the new IBC transmitter station, Obasanjo said: "I see information not only in terms of passing messages or giving news but that in present day Nigeria, the country has to use the information medium to educate the people. This is important for the UBE programme to succeed."

He said the commissioning was to the immense development of Imo State and Nigeria in general. He said the state would be fully transformed in four years.

Obasanjo then visited the Ideato North erosion site, which ecological damage weighed 70 metres.

Other places visited by the President include the Adapalm Industries at Ohaji Egbema, the Nkwerre Local Government Area new headquarters, among others. © Copyright OgutaUK Association. All rights reserved.