NIWA Restates Commitment To Make Waterways Safe, Secure
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, Dr George Moghalu has said that NIWA is committed to securing the nation’s Waterways.
Speaking at the parley with Maritime Journalists in Lagos on Friday, Moghalu informed that with effective sensitization of the public, especially operators and users of water transport and effective monitoring the nation’s Waterways would be safe and secured.
He said the Authority is engaging in effective sensitization of key stakeholders and the public at large about what is expected of operators and users of Waterways or passengers.
He said;”a major issue is that some of the boat operators do not want to follow the guidelines and procedures for safe operation. We have said they will operate between 6am and 7pm, but what you have is some of moving outside of this stipulated period. And the accidents we have recorded occured outside this approved time.
” We have stepped up our monitoring. Some of these boats do not have light and they want to do night journeys. Some do not use life jacket and those that use do not even know that life jacket has life span, it expires.
“We are sensitizing the public by using gingles on radio and television. Radio is very effective for rural communities and most of the accidents occur in the rural communities”, Moghalu said.
According to him many life jackets have been provided to many area offices, “adding that boats are now being electrically registered as some jetties that do not meet the standard requirements have also been shut down.
On security the NIWA MD informed that his organisation is collaborating with security agencies to secure Nigeria’s Waterways.
” There is arrangements with the Nigerian Navy, Police and the Army to provide security services in addition to the NIWA Police Force.”
He stated that all the patrol boats bought before he came in as the MD are still very much in use and that they are setting higher standards in order to reduce human error and curb the level of unfortunate occurrences.
The NIWA boss also stated that the authority is considering the concessioning of some river Ports for more efficient operation. He mentioned ports such as Baro, Oguta Lake and Lokoja ports as those positioned for concessioning.
Further the MD said NIWA still engages in charting, adding that there is a cooperation agreement with the hydrographic department of the Nigerian Navy for the local production of these charts.
On the issue of dredging the NIWA boss said water channels dredging is not a one off thing but regular, noting there is an in-house dredging mechanism arrangement, saying that the inland waterways serve so many different purpose.
