In a bid to curb the menace of boat mishaps in the country, the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has called for the speedy phasing out of wooden boats from Nigerian waterways and replaced by modern fiber boats.
NAPS National Secretary General, Comrade Agada Noah disclosed this during a press conference in Lokoja, Kogi State, while commending the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola CON, and the Managing Director of NIWA Bola Oyebamiji FCIB, for adopting measures to ensure safety on Nigerian inland waterways.
The students’ association also called for more attention from the federal government to the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and NIWA by increasing their budgetary allocations for better infrastructure and increased manpower to meet up with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Meanwhile, it recommended that National Assembly members who come from the riverine areas focus on collaborating with the waterway transporters to provide modern facilities, sponsor campaigns and sensitization to reduce accidents.
It, however, noted that the full enforcement of the Nigeria’s Water Transportation code will be able to curb the spate of waterways accidents in the country.
Comrade Agada Noah, after visiting the NIWA headquarters, recently, posited that the loss of even a single life is too many and the Kogi mishap should be a turning point in the nation’s collective resolve to ensure that no Nigerian has to die needlessly due to preventable factors.
“We use this medium to commend the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, H E, Adegboyega Oyetola and the Managing Director/CEO for gracious adoption and implementation of the Nigeria’s Water Transportation code into reality. A working document that has for several years been in the pipeline.
“We also acknowledge the fortification of the waterways surveillance for the enforcement of safety rules and regulations, emergency response to security threat and safe waterways patrol,” he said.
While pushing for a safer waterways, NIWA had trained over 300 boat operators, distributed thousands of life jackets, recruited over 500 water marshals, translation of safety campaign materials into over 40 languages along the riverine, prompt removal of logs after as and at when due, community engagements among many others.
According to Noah, it is imperative to tackle the root causes of these preventable accidents. Stakeholders must enforce stricter regulations on boat operators, ensure regular maintenance of vessels, and impose penalties for non-compliance with safety standards.
The NIWA Managing Director, however, said 99% of boat mishaps are caused by human errors, attitude of boat operators and passengers not adhering to safety protocols.
He also highlighted some of the achievements of the authority in recent times to include; nationwide sensitization campaigns, donation of free life jackets, deployment of more Water Marshalls, creation of Seven Search and Rescue Units, among others.
Oyebamiji also revealed that the authority is in the process of procuring fiber boats in collaboration with coastal State Governments to curb the incessant boat mishap in the country.
NIWA’s engagement with NAPS also featured a powerpoint presentation by Dr. Wale Tijani Technical Adviser to the NIWA MD, while other contributions were made by Engr. Dakio Horsfall, NIWA General Manager, Marine; Engr Muhammed Dangana, General.Manager, Special Duties; and Ibrahim Sade, General Manager, Procurement.
Also in attendance were; Surv. Olawale Adetola James – General Manager, Business Development; Engr. Fidelis Agbahi – General Manager, Ports and Environment; Japhet Maisaje – General Manager, Audit; Mu’azu Dan’Azumi – General Manager RPS; DCP Shaibu Audu – Commander Inland Waterways Police; and Jude Ogbe – Head of Servicom.
The NAPS team also had Njoku Francis – Public Relations Officer; Usman Ibrahim Dende – Director of Program; Acholo Philomina – Director of Mobilisation NANS; among others.
