The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Maritime Administration Safety Agency NIMASA and National Inland Waterways Authority NIWA on Thursday, embarked on joint inspection and enforcement exercise on barges.
Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, General Manager of LASWA, said in a statement that the joint enforcement exercise was undertaken to monitor the operations of barges and to forestall incidents caused by operators on the Lagos waterways.
According to him, the exercise commenced at Kirikiri on March 18 to detain barges with uncertified crew members and also to shut unlicensed container terminals around the axis.
He said that other sister agencies on the waterways warned barge operators and other waterways stakeholders to always ensure adherence to waterways rules and regulations or risk being sanctioned.
The LASWA boss reiterated the commitment of the Lagos State Government toward the safety of lives and property on the waterways while encouraging sustainable investments into the water transport sector.
He said the enforcement exercise would be continuously carried out until the waterways was free of unqualified craft, crews and substandard jetties.
Emmanuel said the newly employed Water Guards of the Lagos State Waterways Authority were currently undergoing training and capacity building in preparation to their deployment to various jetties and terminals within the state.
He, however, said that the new officers would be trained on Marine Safety, Pre Boarding Check, Firefighting Drill, Operational Hazards, Crowd Control, First Aid, CPR Practices and Conflict Resolutions Techniques.
