Boat Operators Want Lagos Govt To Clear Debris In Waterways

The Liverpool Jetty Boat Operators Association, Apapa, has appealed to the state government to clear the debris in the waterways to give room for easy navigation.
The spokesman of the association, Mr Saheed Ajao, made this known in a recent interview with newsmen   in Lagos.
Ajao, a boat operator, said that the state government should also remove the logs on the waterways.
He said logs were the cause of an increasing number of boat mishaps in Lagos State.
The spokesman said the Ikorodu boat mishap on May 25 which claimed a passenger and injured 27 was a clarion call to government to clear the waterways.
“There are logs floating in the waters that need to be cleared by government agencies to give room for easy navigation.
“The cause of most of the incidents in the Lagos waterways is debris like logs of wood, water-hyacinth and wrecks.
“It is the duty of the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) to make the waters debris free,’’ he said .
According to him, these government agencies will save many lives if they can commission the task of clearing the debris in the waterways.
Ajao said the association’s members now worked with apprehension as the waters had a lot of abandoned debris.
The state government, on its part, warned boat operators to avoid overspeed.
Mr Michael Akindele, the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, (LASEMA), also warned the operators to always comply with safety regulations on the waterways to avoid accident and loss of lives.