The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, Mr Bola Oyebamiji has sent a stern warning to boat operators in the country to desist from any act capable of undermining the safety measures and standards put in place by the Authority aimed at guaranteeing the protection of lives and property on the nation's waterways.
Oyebamiji declared total clampdown on noncompliance with the safety standards by defaulting boat operators saying jail term awaits erring operators particularly those that are fond of traveling in the night and engaging in overloading among other anomalies.
This is just as the Authority announced the geometric increase in the personnel profile of water marshals from 80 to 350 in order to properly nip in the bud the incessant boat mishaps in the country.
Speaking at an interactive session with Maritime Journalists in Lagos, at the weekend, Oyebamiji expressed strong displeasure over the insolence attitude of boat operators along the nation's waterways causing avoidable incidences.
To further deepen the safety measures on the waterways, Oyebamiji revealed that the Authority will prevail on the Presidency through the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to abolish the use of wooden boats which according to him is prone to accidents.
The NIWA boss who outlined comprehensive short, medium and long term measures to halt future accidents on Nigeria’s waterways said the enforcement of the recently gazetted Water Transportation Code was part of the ongoing massive and radical reforms on Nigeria’ waterways.
He contented that most of the accidents were human errors caused by flagrant disregard for safety rules and guidelines such as the ban on night travel, wearing of safety jackets and other elementary safety measures by the boat operators.
Oyebamiji emphasized that there won't be any sacred cow whatsoever in the implementation of the holistic approach employed by the Authority noting that henceforth, strict compliance with the water transportation code will be enforced as part of efforts to further secure the nation's waterways against unruly conducts.
"The twin issues of safety and insecurity on the inland waterways always overshadow every gain recorded by NIWA whenever it happens and to confront this headlong, we have reconsidered our safety campaign approach to focus more on the grassroots using community resources.
“Within one year, NIWA has carried out more grassroots safety campaigns than ever before and we have deployed water marshals across different loading and offloading points in the country to further enhance the safety standards and as well strengthen our safety rules and regulations for the benefit of both operators and other waterways users.
“It may interest you to know that within three months of its launch, we have increased the number of our water marshals from 80 to 350 personnel and recently, these officers were directed to commence 24-hour surveillance within selected locations to arrest the ugly incident of night travel and overloading.
“As you can see, we are irrevocably committed to nip in the bud the incessant boat mishaps on our waterways and this informed the recent stakeholders' meeting held in Abuja to evaluate the current challenges on inland waterways transportation and find permanent solutions.
“The meeting which had in attendance the Honourable Commissioners of Transportation from more than 24 states, among other groups, highlighted several important measures that must be taken to arrest the twin issues of safety and insecurity on the inland waterways.
"So, we are irreversibly committed to safeguard our waterways no matter whose ox is gored and i am using this medium to appeal to all the waterways' users to comply and adhere strictly to the safety tips as being laid down by the Authority. We will continue to implement the safety rules and guildlines and whoever found culpable will be constitutionally dealt with", Oyebamiji added.
Speaking on the readiness of the Authority to collaborate with both local and international agencies so as to foster safe and secured waterways Oyebamiji disclosed that the Authority enjoys strong and robust partnership with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on the issue of removal of water hyacinths and shipwrecks on the waterways.
Oyebamiji also disclosed the readiness of NIWA to outsource the removal of water hyacinths in other to free government funds from such a venture adding that the Authority through the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has opened a discussion with the Ministry of Transportation of Spain for the purpose of importing Spanish technology to monitor Nigeria’s waterways.
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