High tide: NIWA warns stakeholders against breaking waterways rules
High tide: NIWA warns stakeholders against breaking waterways rules
…assures of effective monitoring of Lagos waterways.
National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has warned boat operators and ferry service providers to adhere strictly to waterways rules and regulations
In a statement credited to the Lagos Area Manager of the Authority, Engr Sarat Braimoh, the expected high tides of the waters and incidents of floods ravaging some.littotal communities, prompted the advice.
She maintained that the operators should stick to extant rules of engagement even as she warned them against over-speeding, overloading, fueling during transit, among others.
The Area Manager also warned against boarding boats without life jackets and other sundry activities unbecoming of boating rules, adding that all stakeholders must show commitment to passengers safety, including that of other waterways users.
Engr Braimah reiterated the importance of safety and welfare of passengers on water crafts, adding that the impact of climate change is here in Nigeria and can be seen through lens of devastating floods which breached socioeconomic and environmental lifelines of most states in the country, rendering the people homeless and destroying farmlands and livestock.
Her words, “This meeting is to prepare us to be circumspect and not take chances over weather forecast and consequent high tides of Lagos waters for granted.
“We want you to go back to your unit bodies and members to draw their attention to the expected impact of climate change which is here with us, so we cannot afford to sleep over this matter and must therefore, prepare to confront it headlong if it comes our way,” she explained.
The meeting was attended by leadership and members of Association Of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters (ATBOWATON), Waterfront Boat Owners and Water Transporters Association of Nigeria (WABOTAN) and Maritime workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN)
Others include; LAGFERRY officials, Seacoach, and Texas connection staff.
The meeting also deliberated on how to arrest logs and wrecks pushed out by flood from the creeks into the waterways, posing risk to Boat services and Operations.
Engr. Braimah further assured of deploying the NIWA task force, backed by ambulance services round the clock, with proactive management of water Hyacinth which is also moved upstream to the waterways, posing a challenge to Boat Operations.
“We have written to request that Water Hyacinth be cleared and checked. We have also taken note of the possible challenges of having floods pushing out logs and wrecks from the creeks into the waterways and we believe, our ongoing wreck removal efforts, will address the problem,”
Explaining, she stated that NIWA and Lagos State, would partner with stakeholders to ensure any expected weather related challenge on the waterways, is addressed to the benefit of Lagos waterways users.
