By Yinka Aderibigbe
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) on Friday restated its commitment to safety on the waterways, urging operators and passengers to adhere strictly to safety regulations anytime they are making use of the waterways.
NIWA’s position comes on the heels of the boat accident on River Buruku, Benue State on Wednesday, which left about 18 people dead.
A statement issued by NIWA’s General Manager Corporate Affairs Mr. Tayo Fadile, said the accident would have been prevented had the operator adhered to the regulation laid out by NIWA.
Quoting NIWA’s Area Manager in Benue State, Engr. Danjuma Mohammed Kabiru who visited the site of the Boat accident, Fadile confirmed that the boat involved in the accident was originally meant to carry motorized vehicles and not passengers.
That was why according to him, apart from the passengers, 18 motorcycles that were on the boat were also recovered.
“It should be noted that it is against the standard practice that a vehicular boat was used to ferry the 30 passengers on board. It was obvious that the boat was overloaded,” Fadile said.
He also disclosed that the Area Manager also confirm that against NIWA safety guideline which stipulated that boats and river craft should not travel after 6.00pm on our waterways was breached.
According to him, the ill-fated boat started its journey by 9:00pm which was contrary to NIWA’s safety guidelines. None of the 30 passengers were wearing life jackets.
“While we commiserate with the government and people of Benue State on this unfortunate incident, we are also using this opportunity to urge all intending passengers on our waterways to always adhere to the safety guidelines as provided by NIWA, especially the need to wear life jacket and to discourage traveling on our waterways after 6:00pm.
“We are particularly worried that a ferry boat designed to carry only vehicles was illegally turned to a passenger vessel, causing the loss of 18 precious lives.”
Fadile said while unfortunate incident cannot be prevented, strict adherence to the rules remains the way to make the waterways safer for all users.
“No one should travel on the waterways at night because we do not have navigational aids to aid night travel. We have also always warned against anyone travelling on the waterways without a life jacket. No one should board any boat or watercraft without life jackets,” Fadile added.