The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has said that the inter agency committee has again clamped down on six unseaworthy barges operating illegally within the Lagos inland waterways.
Recall that following increasing reports of abuses of process in the operation of barges and private jetties, the joint operations team in March clamped down on some unseaworthy barges while three illegal jetties were then sealed.
The establishment of an inter-agency committee comprises representatives of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Nigerian Maritime Administration Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Lagos State Inland Waterways Authority (LASWA).
Speaking with the Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Engineer Sarat Braimah shortly after a parley with the Nigerian Shippers’Council, she explained that the water crafts were intercepted along the Lagos waterways because of “unseaworthy condition”.
Braimah said that the joint patrol has been effectively manned by personnel of the combined agencies and has so far reduced the number of accident , unlicensed jetties and unseaworthy water crafts along the brown waters in Lagos.
She warned operators with fake licenses and documents to register with the appropriate agencies of government, saying there will be no hiding place for them to operate barging activities in Lagos.
She also disclosed that NIWA and Samsung Heavy Industries have entered into strategic alliance on the construction of barges for the waterways authority.
Aside licensing of eight companies that will commence barging activities from Lagos to Onitsha river port, the Area Manager explained that NIWA would also build and own barges for inland waterways activities in Nigeria.
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