Boat mishaps: NIMASA, NIWA to ensure saferwater transportation

FOLLOWING the recent mishaps in the inland waterways in the country, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) have expressed their readiness to make water transportation safe and viable in Nigeria.

The Chairman, Governing Board of the NIMASA, Maj-Gen Jonathan Garba (rtd), who commiserated with the families of the victims of the recent marine accidents, said measures would be put in place to make the waterways safe.

The boat mishaps in Munya local government area of Niger state and Bagudo local government area of Kebbi state claimed over 100 lives.

However, Garba in a statement signed, Adakole Ejegbudu, and made available to newsmen in Lokoja, on Tuesday, said NIMASA and NIWA were exploring ways of pooling their knowledge base and other resources together to ensure that water transportation is safe in the country.

According to him, the two bodies would achieve that mandate with other stakeholders in making water transportation a safe and viable mode to enable them play their parts in fulfilling the dream of President Muhammadu Buhari to fully develop a truly intermodal transport system in the nation.

He said, “I hope to share news of a concrete collaboration strategy between the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and other relevant stakeholders soon.

“I wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to all those who lost loved ones in these terrible accidents and to the governors of those states, their excellencies Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger and Sen Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

“A few days I commended the leadership of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) for keeping the nation’s waterways navigable and for their vision of making all 10,000 km of our waterways viable. I stand with the leadership of NIWA in this period of mourning and share in their renewed resolve to make marine transportation safer.”

While noting that recent events on the Nigerian waterways could erode public confidence, Garba noted that for marine transportation to be seen and utilised as a sustainable and viable mode of transportation it must be safe.

“This is the challenge that all stakeholders must rise up to. As is often said in the maritime world, all hands must be on deck”, he added.

He noted that in line with the Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr Boboye Olayemi Oyeyemi, the development of rail and marine transport would ease the pressure on the roads and consequently reduce the frequency of road accidents.

He said NIMASA believed in the vision of the minister of transport, Rotimi Amaechi for establishing a truly intermodal transport system and the underlying need for interagency cooperation.

“The governing board of NIMASA has made it clear several times that we are willing to collaborate with various MDAs in improving the efficiency and safety of transportation and for the greater good of the nation. I restate that commitment now.

“I am aware that the National NIWA already has a sensitisation and awareness program for stakeholders and waterways users. This is a step in the right direction.

I call on Civil Society Organizations and well-meaning citizens to volunteer and play a role in this sensitization program.”