The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has said that, it would commence safety enlightenment campaign in the six geo-political zone following recent boat mishaps in the country.
Mr Muazu Sambo, the Lagos State Area Manager of NIWA, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
Sambo attributed recurrent mishaps to natural phenomenon like rock hidden in water, night travel, overloading, incompetent drivers, use of substandard boats and slack in enforcement of the use of life jackets.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has said that, it would commence safety enlightenment campaign in the six geo-political zone following recent boat mishaps in the country.
Mr Muazu Sambo, the Lagos State Area Manager of NIWA, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
Sambo attributed recurrent mishaps to natural phenomenon like rock hidden in water, night travel, overloading, incompetent drivers, use of substandard boats and slack in enforcement of the use of life jackets.
“The authority is primarily concerned about safety. Our major concern in the regulation of inland waterways is safety; that is why we have a special department for safety.
“We make sure that in every area office there are two standing teams. One team is called the search are rescue team in the event of incidence happening.
“The other team is the Safety Compliance team. These are standard teams you would find in every area office of NIWA''.
He said the authority had taken its safety campaigns to jetties in Maroko, CMS, Ikorodu, saying, “hopefully by the time we resume from Easter, all the jetties in Lagos will be covered.
“The Management of NIWA at the board level has designed a safety enlightenment campaign on the six geopolitical zones of the country.
“As part of this tour, people are going to be enlightened about safety on waterways; the board has approved the distribution of life jackets, free of charge, in all the zones that they would be visiting.
“Lagos would represent the South-West zone. This is to show that at the highest level of the authority, safety has been identified as a major source of concern.''
Sambo said that the Area Office's Search and Rescue team, as well as its Safety Compliance team had moved out to further enlighten and enforce waterways regulations to avert mishaps.
Reacting to all other activities on waterways that are injurious to safety of passengers boat, Sambo described loggers as most `dangerous and hazardous`.
“The loggers are more dangerous, more hazardous to life; that is why we are concern with them
“On Monday our safety campaign team had a meeting with loggers at Oyingbo to sensitise them on the implications of their activities on water, and draw their attention to the last incident that happened along the Ikorodu waterway.
“So, we had a meeting and told them that their activities have to be regulated, and we gave them guidelines.
“Luckily, they are unionised, they are in associations, so it is easy to interface with them effectively and get results.
He said that the navigable routes in Lagos are Ikorodu to CMS, Ikorodu to Ebute Ero, Ikorodu to Mokoko, Ikorodu to Apapa, and CMS to Apapa.
Sambo added that the ban on night travel from 7pm was aimed at safeguarding passengers' life in the absence of navigation light on our routes.
The manager also said that the management had moved to restrict the activities of canoe operators to fishing or other personal uses other than movement of passengers.
Sambo said that the authority had commenced seizing substandard and worn out life jackets, adding that, operators who lacked prerequisite safety measure would not be allowed to operate.
He added that the authority had deployed its officials to all the jetties to ensure adherence to safety procedures before the take-off of a boat.
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