Former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has called on stakeholders to address the incessant cases of boat mishaps in the country that have resulted in the death of many Nigerians.
“I am extremely saddened by the agonising incessant cases of boat capsize in Nigeria and the attendant continued loss of precious lives of Nigerians,” Jamoh said.
He adding that the recent news of the boat capsize in Kogi State, indicate that at least 54 bodies have been recovered from River Niger after a boat carrying more than 200 passengers, capsized.
The one-time NIMASA boss, who expressed his concern in a statement, said the boat was reported to be travelling from Kogi State, to a weekly market in the neighbouring Niger State when it went down. He said the passengers included traders and farm labourers, insisting that night operations should be prohibited.
He said although 24 of those on board were rescued, “dozens of others may be missing, adding that divers were still searching the waters but expressed fears that hope is fading on the possibility of finding more survivors.
“This record shows that lives have again been lost and it is in this regard that I express my heartfelt condolences and extend my prayers to the families of those who have lost their lives.
“While we mourn for the lives lost, it is instructive to state that this incidence is another clarion call for well-meaning Nigerians and the relevant stakeholders to set standards in the use of inland waters ways and water transportation in general.
“We cannot continue to fold our hands while fellow citizens continue to die through preventable circumstances.”
Jamoh said Alhough the cause of the accident is not yet known, “but there are indications that many of the travelers may not have been wearing life jackets as required, pointing out that there was no passenger manifest for getting accurate details about who exactly had boarded the boat.”
According to the Head of the Kogi State office of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Justin Uche, at the time the accident occurred, it was impossible to give an accurate account of persons who boarded, the survivors and those who are missing.
Jamoh expressed displeasure that the continued boat accidents resulting in loss of precious lives in the Nigerian water ways “have in the last four years claimed, across the country, close to 2,500 lives,” adding, “it is very sad to read about the frequent loss of lives in our inland waterways which are clearly avoidable.”
He said: “In view of the urgency of the situation as it affects loss of lives, I would recommend the following:; Immediate setting up of a joint NIMASA and Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) task force to, in the short term, identify and enforce existing safety regulations and propose new regulations where there are gaps.
“This measure, he stressed should be targeted at using a risk-based approach, as we need to be seen to be taking immediate and decisive action to keep our people safe.”
