Waterways: Kwara State legislature calls for regulation, enforcement of guidelines 

The Kwara state house of assembly has said the state’s Ministry of Works and Transport should liaise with the National Inland Waterways Authority on water operations’ regulations and enforcement of guidelines.

The House members gave the directive on Tuesday in Ilorin following a Matter Of General Public Importance brought up by Hon. Ahmed Baba (APC/Banni/Gwaria/Adena).

The matter was on the devastating incident of boat capsizing on Oct. 1 in Gwajibo, in the Kaiama Local Government Area (LGA).

The deliberations led to the resolutions, one being the need for the Authority to deploy its staff to all loading points on the Nigerian waterways.

This was with a view to regulating operation and enforcing precautionary guidelines on water transport operations.

Reading the resolutions, the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, commiserated with the people of Kaiama LGA over the unfortunate incident.

“The State Emergency Management Agency should liaise with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide the survivors and families of the victims with relief materials.

“This is to help cushion the effects of the disaster on the Gwajibo Mudi community,” he said.

The Speaker thereafter commended Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his prompt response and for the shows of solidarity with the people of the area regarding the sad occurrence.

Leading the debate, Baba drew the attention of the House to the shocking news of a boat mishap on the waterways of Niger.

He said the wooden boat, with 285 persons on board and consisting 283 natives of Gwajibo Mudi, left the shores of the riverine community enroute the neighbouring Gwajibo community in Niger.

”They were on their way to attend the annual Maolud Nabbiy but but their capsized in the middle of River Niger at a location within the territory of Niger shortly before arriving its destination.

”This avoidable accident apparently happened as a result of overloading, as findings revealed that the wooden boat with a capacity for 200 passengers only was loaded with 285 on the ill-fated journey.

”At the conclusion of rescue operations, only 92 victims were rescued alive while 191 corpses of persons who are all indigenes of Gwajibo Mudi in Kaiama were recovered.

”The unfortunate incident had left many families and households in Gwajibo Mudi community devastated while the entire Kwara state are in a state of mourning.

”Boat mishaps seem to have become a regular occurrence on our waterways and this calls for serious attention,” Baba said.

The lawmaker added that it was obvious that the boat carried more passengers than its capacity while the passengers also ignored the necessary safety measures.

NAN / Foluke Ibitomi