Group Describes Eriyetomi’s Claims Over Warri Port Upgrade As Misleading

By Joseph Bienbo, Warri

Advocacy group under the auspices of the Niger Delta Rights Watch, (NDRW) has criticised the incumbent lawmaker, Chief Thomas Eriyetomi, over a full-page advertorial published in Vanguard newspaper on October 2, 2026, concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of the upgrade of Warri Port.

According to the group, the lawmaker gave the public a misleading impression about the roles played by various stakeholders in the campaign for the modernisation of Warri Port, alleging that the lawmaker’s publication appeared to take undue credit for the development for a cheap political scorecard ahead of the 2027 general election.

In a statement signed by its National President Mr. Cletus Opukeme, the group said it had no objection to Eriyetomi congratulating President Tinubu on the approval but expressed concern over what it described as an attempt to overlook the collective efforts of other stakeholders to achieve ”a cheap political scorecard ahead of the 2027 general election.

The statement read, “We are not worried that Chief Thomas Eriyetomi, as a respected federal lawmaker representing Warri Federal Constituency, is congratulating Mr. President on the approval of the Warri Port upgrade.

“Our concern borders on the publication, which, in our view, could mislead the public by giving the impression that the achievement should be attributed to one individual. To set the record straight, the approval for the modernisation of Warri Port represents the collective efforts of well-meaning Deltans, particularly leaders, traditional rulers and other critical opinion leaders of Niger Delta region.

The group urged the incumbent lawmaker to acknowledge the contributions of other individuals and groups who had advocated for the revitalisation of Warri Port over the years.

“We respect the views of the federal lawmaker, but we believe that the facts surrounding Warri Port should be presented fairly and objectively. The development of such a critical economic asset should not be reduced to political point-scoring.

“We therefore call on Chief Thomas Eriyetomi to reconsider his position, retract any statement that may give a misleading impression of exclusive credit, and apologise to those who have contributed in one way or another to the campaign for the port’s modernisation,” the statement added.

Niger Delta Rights Watch, further disclosed that the modernisation of Warri Port is one long expected and overdue.

The advocacy group also congratulated President Tinubu on the reported approval of the modernisation of Warri Port, alongside the ports of Onne, Port Harcourt and Calabar, describing the initiative as a significant step towards strengthening Nigeria’s blue economy.

It expressed optimism that modernising the ports would create employment opportunities, expand commercial activities, improve maritime operations and strengthen trade between Nigeria and neighbouring countries through enhanced sea transport and port services.

They also commended well-meaning Deltans and, in particular, leaders and stakeholders of Warri Federal Constituency for their sustained advocacy for improved living standards and economic development in the area.