The National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, yesterday read the riot act to boat operators and passengers in Onitsha, Anambra State, and in Asaba, Delta State, urging them to wear life jackets and avoid night travels and overloading or be arrested and prosecuted.

NIWA also warned boat operators against carrying passengers and goods on the same boat, saying that NIWA discourages carrying heavy goods and food items, like yam, cassava, rice, and other grains, in the same boats with the passengers.

The agency accused boat operators of not being interested in observing and obeying safety rules and the safety of their passengers but only interested in the passengers money, warning that it will be no more business as usual for them, as anyone arrested flouting the safety rules or law will face the law.

Managing Director of NIWA, Mr. Bolaji Oyebamiji, gave the warning through the NIWA Area Manager, Onitsha Area Office, Mr Suleiman Nicholas, when the agency took its fourth quarter sensitisation program for the Onitsha and Asaba markets to their respective waterfront.

The agency said they are now collaborating with the Nigerian police, Nigerian Navy, and Maritime Police to arrest the disobedient boat operators and passengers who will work against the safety and stipulated waterways rules.

According to Suleiman, ?Why we took our fourth quarter sensitisation to Onitsha and Asaba markets waterfronts is to reach out to the boat operators and passengers because if we call them to come to our office, they will not come; only government officers attend.

?However, being in our last quarter of the year, the fourth quarter of our sensitisation in the year, today we said there is the need for us to go to the people and talk to them directly in their market waterfronts, the loading points in Onitsha and Asaba.

?We have met, as you can see, the boat operators and the passengers at their waterfront markets; that is why we took our fourth quarter sensitisation to ensure that we reach every one of them; safety rules observation is very important to us.?

Suleiman also stated that the sensitisation was also necessary because of the festive periods that are around the corner, saying that many people are visiting home from outside their base, just as traders commercial activities will equally increase, adding that the fourth quarter sensitisation is happening at a time it is needed.

?We are using the market water from sensitisation to reawaken the boat operators, passengers, and traders that they should not engage in over-rushing, overloading, and carrying of goods and passengers in the same boat; we expect them to always use their life jackets, which is very important.

?We don?t want to have more boat mishaps because we have had enough; that is why this waterfront market sensitisation is important to us. Many people will travel this period with boats due to high cost of transportation and other issues.

?You see, road accidents happen on a daily basis, and many people die, but once there is a boat mishap, it makes news, and NIWA is always placed at the centre stage, and we don?t want that negative attention NIWA is getting through boat mishaps.

?It is unfortunate that boat operators are not interested in their passengers safety. We discovered that most of them we engage as stakeholders are members of water transport unions. They are still owners and operators of the boats, so if I make a law against it and ask them to enforce the laws, they frustrate it.

?Now we have noticed that they frustrate our laws instead of enforcing them. We have changed style and are now collaborating with the Nigerian Police and Navy, Maritime Police, and our NIWA police to arrest and prosecute those that will work against our safety rules.

?The message from our Managing Director has always been that boat operators should observe safety regulations. Safety of lives and properties on the waterways. So he expects all boat operators and passengers to observe the safety rules, wear life jackets, and avoid night journeys and overloading so that the lives of the people will be saved. (Saturday Vanguard)

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