The Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Ikorodu Boat Mishap inaugurated by Lagos State Ministry of Transport on Wednesday urged the state to improve on its rescue operations in cases of water mishaps.
The chairman of the 11-man committee, Mr Tainu Olajide, spoke in Ikeja when he led other members to submit their report on the incident to the State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Kayode Opeifa.
The committee was inaugurated on April 11 to look into the cause of the April 2 Ikorodu boat mishap.
Nine lives were lost in the incident at Maijidun jetty.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Ikorodu Boat Mishap inaugurated by Lagos State Ministry of Transport on Wednesday urged the state to improve on its rescue operations in cases of water mishaps.
The chairman of the 11-man committee, Mr Tainu Olajide, spoke in Ikeja when he led other members to submit their report on the incident to the State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Kayode Opeifa.
The committee was inaugurated on April 11 to look into the cause of the April 2 Ikorodu boat mishap.
Nine lives were lost in the incident at Maijidun jetty.
Olajide said that the boat was not overloaded and was not speeding as reported.
“The boat was neither overloaded nor over speeding, but the rescue operations could be better than it was on that particular occasion,“ Olajide said.
He said that the committee had recommended precautionary measures that would enhance safety in water transportation in Lagos.
Responding, the commissioner thanked the committee for the thorough job they had done and promised to adhere to the recommendations in the report.
“I can assure you that we will adhere strictly to the recommendations and take seriously the conclusions of the fact finding investigation.
“ We will also go beyond this to do the necessary and ensure that our waterways are safer than it is now.
“This government will pursue zero incident within our waterways as our watchword,“ Opeifa said.
According to him, a copy of the report will be forwarded to Gov. Babatunde Fashola.
He said that the state moves two million people on its waterways every month and had plans to improve the number and ferries before the end of the year.
The commissioner urged boat operators to adhere to safety precautions to support the state’s effort to enhance safety on waterways.
“As we move to the rainy season, we want to appeal to the boat operators to be very careful and study the weather information before embarking on any journey.
“We want to use this opportunity to reiterate that the issue of life jackets is a must on the waterways, “ he said.
Opeifa said that the state’s Rural Water Safety Initiatives would be flagged off on Thursday at Ebute Ojo Jetty as part of efforts to enhance safety of water transport.
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