In a bid to curb reoccurring accident on a waterway, the Lagos Area Office of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) on Tuesday in continuation of its sensitisation campaign along the waterways, visited Ajido, Apa, and Gberefun Island all in Badagry to distribute Life Jackets, enlighten the people on safe waterways navigation.
The Head of Marine of NIWA in Lagos, Engineer Elsie Egwuatu
who lead the team with NIWA officials and boat operators, reeled out the
implication of violating the newly gazetted Transport Code of the Federal
Government, urging the communities to abide by the new law to avoid arrest and
prosecution.
Engineer Egwuatu who represented the Lagos Area Manager,
Engineer Sarat Braimah, highlighted the hazards of night trips, boat ride
without Life Jackets and paddle,, overloading, and boarding of un-named boats.
She warned that henceforth, the NIWA enforcement team will
clamp down on defaulters.
“You must come to our office to register your boats. From August,
we will be clamping down on any boat that is not registered with NIWA and you
will be prosecuted according to the new Waterways gazetted transportation code
which prescribed seven years imprisonment for offenders,” she said.
The NIWA team was received by community leaders in the three
riverine communities.
The entourage of the NIWA team was the National President of
ATBOWATON, Mr. Ganiyu Balogun, State Chairman, Mr. Saheed Lawal and Badagry
Chairman, Mr. Babatope Fajemirokun.
Recall that the Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Engineer Sarat
Braimah had on Monday led a delegation to Sagbo-Koji, Bishop-Koji, Irede and
Wehla-Koji to sensitise riverine communities on the newly gazetted Transport
Code.
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