Subsidy removal: Lagos boat operators plan reforms, target zonal activities

The Lagos State chapter of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters (ATBOWATON), at a recent emergency meeting, pledged to overhaul its operational strategies, zeroing on “one zone, one project” agenda to empower its members hit by subsidy removal impacts.

The association, at the meeting called at the instance of its national acting Board of Trustees’ chairman,  Mr Frank Meke and the National President, Dr Gani Tarzan Balogun, agreed to evaluate its operational impact, reach out to aggrieved members and enthrone reconciliations,  factor new developmental strides and also tackle cases of proven double taxation of its members.

Chairman, Lagos ATBOWATON, Babatunde Lawal, stated that the association pioneered and made huge sacrifices for the promotion and growth of water transportation in the state and the nation but has not benefited from its struggles for effective and secure movement of goods and persons across littoral communities in the state.

Lawal urged the members to be consistent and resist external forces bent on dividing the frontline water transportation body, noting that the doors of the association in Lagos is open to anyone willing to operate by the extant regulations by federal and state authorities and the constitution of ATBOWATON.

“We were once at the forefront of ensuring sanity on regulations of ecosystem and went to court to prove our case. We recently obtained judgment against certain maritime organisation which does not own or operate boats, yet wished to compel registered boat operators to pay levies to them. We must appreciate our members who stood by us at the risk of their lives through the court matter,” Lawal said.

Speaking on the proposed effort to set up another union of boat operators in Lagos and which the members rejected, Lawal promised to write relevant bodies pushing for the action to know the latest position of the association on the matter.