The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) has urged all stakeholders, operators and passengers to always ensure that they do the right things while navigating the waterways.
Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, General Manager, LASWA, made the appeal while addressing newsmen in Lagos.
Emmanuel asked why passengers should board a boat at an awkward time and operators allow such to happen.
He said that government was doing its best to improve on safety by enforcing standards, without stifling operators.
“On the recent accidents, it should be noted that in the last two years, we barely had any accident on our waterways.
“What exactly happened? Was it a stroke of luck or by chance? I don’t think so.
“This is a sector that is constantly improving and being regulated, and looking at what is missing and continuing to work on it.
“Yes, a few processes might not have been in place, and for this particular incident, it might not have been put in place.
“But there has been some significant improvement with what the regulators are doing,” he said.
On calls by operators seeking government’s help in acquiring boats, Emmanuel noted that the Lagos State Government had plans to support them.
He said that he was aware that the state government had specific amount of boats which to give to boat operators this year.
“It is a good call from the operators and the state government already has this plan in place where the boats have already been made but they still want to make few more before starting the process of supporting operators with boats.
“It is basically the private operators that will apply for it, which is why the state government asked them to form cooperative because the boats will not be given to individual operators,” he said.
On the Supreme Court ruling, the LASWA boss said the rule must be respected and honoured.
“ What the state government is then doing is to talk to the national body to see possible way of collaboration.
“But in the mean time,we are not stopping our safety functions because we owe it to the lives of our citizens to continue to ensure that all the resources the state government has invested in LASWA will continue to provide safety for the people.
“But in terms of being able to function as a regulator, it is definitely to collaborate with the national body,” he said.
He said that LASWA would not stop its investment as regards safety and development of the waterways.
The LASWA boss said that jetties were being built, and the state government plans to give boats to the sector were still on.
