Segun Adeniyi lauds LASWA’s strides in water transportation

Olusegun Adeniyi, former presidential spokesman to the late President Umaru Yar’Adua has applauded the developmental strides of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) in water transportation in the state, describing the agency as a “catalyst for decongesting Lagos roads”.

Adeniyi, who was at the LASWA Head Office at the Five Cowries Terminal, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos State, said the Falomo Jetty Lounge is better than those in some airports in the country.

Adeniyi, who is the current Chairman of the Editorial Board of Thisday Newspapers, stated this in a column published by the paper titled, ‘Tinubu Should Watch Saworoide Again’, on Wednesday

“Inside the Control Room of the Monitoring and Data Management Centre of the Lagos Waterways Authority (LASWA) at the sprawling Falomo Jetty last Friday afternoon, I watched activities in real time on the entire stretch of the Lagos lagoon, from Ikorodu to Badagry,” Adeniyi recalled.

“LASWA General Manager, Damilola Emmanuel, was on hand to take me through what I was seeing live on the big screens.”

Adeniyi was on a boat ride from the jetty in Ozumba Mbadiwe. “To beat the Victoria Island traffic after the visit (and boat ride), I asked to be dropped at the Falomo Jetty (to access Ikoyi) and then I had the chance encounter with the LASWA boss, Damilola. Surprisingly, the lounge at the jetty is better than what you find in some airports in the country,” the ex-presidential aide stated.

“Established in 2008 by the government of Babatunde Fashola, the agency can serve as a catalyst for decongesting Lagos roads. But it needs to encourage private capital which Caverton Marine and other players are tapping into.

“From what I saw last Friday, water transportation can be a viable option for those who want to avoid the impossible Lagos Road traffic. But it will require considerable investment, especially from the private sector in partnership with the Lagos State government.”