The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) says it is working with the Marine Police and the Nigerian Navy to curb insecurity on Lagos waterways.
Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, General Manager of LASWA, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.
According to Emmanuel, beyond the Marine police and the Navy, LASWA has its command and control centre to monitor the waterways adequately.
He spoke against the backdrop of reported cases of crime and criminality along the state’s waterways.
“On issues of banditry, piracy and other crimes along the waterways, we have the numbers, but how many people did we hear that were kidnapped last year around the Lagos inland waterways?
“It does not mean that Lagos is not proactive, we are actually proactive as regards security on the waterways and that is why we are collaborating with Marine police, Navy in that regard,” he said.
On the security of the newly inaugurated Omibus, the general manager noted that the boats would be handed over to private operators, to whom the security of the boats would be in their custody.
“In terms of safety of these boats, in the last one year, I can barely say with the count of my fingers, if we have heard of theft of either parts or boats, on our waterways. This has been the trend in the last few years.
“Also, any operator to whom the boats are handed over to, know what it entails, because they are going to sign an agreement and they will be held liable for anything.
“We should also remember that these boats are insured. So, insurance will definitely cover it, in case of any damage or theft, be rest assured that whatever it is, it will be replaced, wether the boat itself, or any of its parts,” he said.
Emmanuel, however, added that the owners themselves had a responsibility to play as well as LASWA, the regulator, in ensuring safety of the boats.
