The Federal Authorities via the Nationwide Inland Waterways Authority has stated that it’s shifting in direction of phasing out wood boats on inland waterways.
The Managing Director of NIWA, Bola Oyebamiji, made this recognized to editors throughout an interplay in Lagos.
Talking throughout the interplay, which centered largely on the security of the waterways and the growth of water journey, Oyebamiji defined that wood boats constituted over 90 per cent of boats on the waterways.
Oyebamiji stated they accounted for almost all of accidents on the waterways nationwide.
He stated this was massive as a result of that they had no regard for operational guidelines, “which included not touring at evening, overloading and failure to make use of life jackets by each operators and passengers.”
In line with him, touring at evening is a felony offence.
“Most of them don’t have any gentle in any respect. Overloading can also be a problem. And the boats are piloted by folks of the bottom training in Nigeria,” he said.
On the best way to resolve the difficulty within the quick time period, he stated NIWA had consciously elevated the variety of its marshals at jetties from 80 to 350 to cowl all the nation.
Oyebamiji stated not less than two marshals are at jetties per time day by day, observing morning and evening shifts.
He additionally revealed that the company has launched into a rigorous marketing campaign each on the jetties and by way of the media.
The NIWA boss talked about that the marketing campaign was being performed in each English and the native languages of the communities coated.
He stated the marketing campaign centered on enlightening the boat operators and passengers on the ills of evening journey, overloading, and never utilizing life jackets, amongst others.
The managing director, nonetheless, stated the long-term objective is to section out wood boats from operation.
Oyebamiji stated the company was liaising with the Presidency and Ministry of Marine and Blue Economic system, to exchange wood boats nationwide.
He equally stated for now, extra patrol boats could be deployed by the company to watch operators in step with the NIWA Code, including that the Nigerian Navy was additionally aiding on this regard.
“Lots of people convey God into this matter of security on waterways once we are the issues ourselves. Our characters and our behaviors are the good determinants right here,” Oyebamiji said.
He vowed that the company would proceed to push by making use of training, enlightenment, and sanction, the place want be, till there are zero fatalities on our waterways.
“There may be a lot we might have needed to do on this regard whereas we hope that each one stakeholders will begin enjoying by the principles,” he concluded.