•Says Ailing-fated boat on unlawful operation
•Tinubu mourns victims
•Gov Bago talks powerful on frequent mishaps, lack of lives, property
By Godwin Oritse, Johnbosco Agbakwuru & Wole Mosadomi
MORE our bodies are being recovered from the Gbajibo River, Mokwa Native Authorities Space of Niger State, after a wood boat carrying 300 passengers capsized, on Tuesday night time.
At press time, the water marshalls of the Nationwide Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, with the collaboration of the Nigeria state’s Nationwide Emergency Administration Company, NEMA, and native divers have recovered 70 our bodies, rescued 150 individuals whereas the seek for the remaining lacking passengers was nonetheless ongoing.
This got here as President Bola Tinubu despatched condolences to the Authorities and other people of Niger State over the boat accident.
In the meantime, Governor, Mohammed Bago has expressed disappointment over the incident and vowed to redouble efforts to implement legal guidelines in step with water transportation to keep away from frequent waste of lives and property.
Lagos Space Supervisor of NIWA, Mrs. Sarat Braimah, who spoke on the incident, accused the operators of the ill-fated boat of unlawful operations as they sailed at 8:30p.m., which was towards the water transportation code which has outlawed night time crusing.
Braimah, who absolved NIWA of complicity within the tragic incident following a public outrage over what was described because the negligence of the authority, disclosed that the 4 water marshalls deployed to the Gbajibo River the place the incident occurred had already closed from obligation for the day and left.
She mentioned that the Marshalls went to the opposite facet of the jetty whereas the ill-fated boat was loading with out their data.
In the meantime, NIWA has attributed the unlucky incident to flagrant disregard for transportation code by the boat operators corresponding to overloading (the wood boat carried 300 passengers), use of sub-standard boat which is a wood carved boat with out vital navigational aids, lack of sporting of security vests and night time crusing which has been banned.
Braimah mentioned: “NIWA simply constituted river marshalls, who have been posted to each state and Niger State particularly has 24 water marshalls whereas in Mokwa LGA, the place the incident occurred, they’ve 4 Marshalls.”
She lamented the prevalence of night time crusing within the North regardless of its ban which she mentioned was a serious problem for NIWA.
“NIWA will now make it 24-hour surveillance on waterways in that space with the intention to stop reoccurrence.”
In response to her, the just lately gazetted transportation code launched by NIWA and cascaded to each state comprises penalties for infractions of security requirements.
“Final month, NIWA was all over the place on sensitization of the residents on this code. However, sadly, this tragic incident occurred.
“Any further, night time crusing is our goal. We’re going to recruit extra river marshalls who will likely be engaged on 24- 24-hour foundation. This may hopefully deter folks and boat operators from night time crusing” Mrs Braimah mentioned.
Tinubu mourns victims
President Tinubu in a press release by his Particular Adviser on Data and Technique, Bayo Onanuga, commiserated with the households of the victims and prayed for the repose of the souls of the useless.
The President additionally directed NIWA to analyze the spate of boat accidents in Niger State and throughout the nation and devise modalities to examine the development.
He ordered NIWA to increase the scope of its surveillance of inland waters to make sure our folks’s security and prosecute boat operators violating the ban on night time crusing.
President Tinubu thanked emergency employees and native divers who have been working to seek out the remaining folks.
Gov Bago talks powerful on frequent mishaps, lack of life, property
In the meantime, Governor Bago in a condolence assertion by way of his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim described the incident as unlucky and disheartening.
“The recurring circumstances of boat mishaps within the state over the previous few years are worrisome and the federal government will redouble efforts to make sure strict compliance to security measures to tame the ugly development.”
The governor sympathized with Mokwa LGA over the incident and likewise commiserated with the households of the victims and prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and the short restoration of these injured.