In the last three days, 41 persons have been confirmed dead in three separate boat accidents on the the nation’s inland waterways. The first mishap of the week occurred on the 9th September, 2023, in Njuwa lake in Yola, Adamawa State. another one happened on 10th September in Mokwa of Niger State and on 11th September in Gurin, Fufore area of Adamawa State.
Before the last three incidents of the week, no fewer than 200 persons have been killed in various boat mishaps on the nation’s inland waterways in 2023. The accidents which have become recurrent and unabated have taken lives of both young, old, male and female who are mostly less privileged.
For instance, on August 24, 2023 in Nasarawa state, no fewer than 12 persons reportedly lost their lives in a boat mishap on River Kogi Kungra Kamfani, in Arikiya, Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The victims were said to be going to the farm when the incident occurred, 12 persons out of 19 on board the boat died in the boat mishap.
In June, a devastating mishap happened in Kwara state that claimed over 110 lives at Egbu village, in the Patigi Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State.
The boat was overloaded with over 250 passengers, mostly guests, returning from a wedding ceremony at Egboti village in Niger State, capsized, claiming several lives.
Though the Kwara State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Ajayi Okesanmi, said the tragedy claimed 103 lives, the traditional ruler of Patigi, Ibrahim Bologi II, reportedly disclosed that the dead victims were 110.
In January 2023, at least 15 passengers died after a boat ferrying more than 100 passengers returning from a farm on the River Niger, broke into half as it approached Samanaji village in Koko-Besse district in Kebbi State.
The political administrator of the district, Yahaya Bello Koko who confirmed the recovery of 10 bodies, noted that the boat was overloaded with passengers “beyond its capacity.”
However, on February 20, 2023, no fewer than 17 persons escaped death after a commercial passenger ferry named Fazma Logistics, loaded with 17 passengers, which left Ikorodu ferry terminal en route Ebute Ero, capsized near Third Mainland Bridge close to the Bariga ferry terminal in Lagos State.
Another 15 children had drowned in May 2023, while 25 others were missing when their overloaded boat capsized in Shagari River in Sokoto State.
The local administrator of Shagari District, Aliyu Abubakar said the youths were on their way from Dundeji village in the state to collect firewood in the bush on the other side of Shagari River when their boat sank.
However, having failed woefully to protect lives and property, by enforcing regulations, NIWA helplessly resorted to mourning and commiserating with victims of every tragic incident without any deliberate, drastic and decisive actions to avert another loss of precious lives.
The managing director of NIWA, Dr George Moghalu, on Tuesday, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP, only reiterated call on transporters to ensure strict adherence to safety regulations on the nation’s waterways.
He also emphasising on the need for the people in the riverine communities traveling by boats and canoes to use live jackets and avoid overcrowded boats.
Moreover, stakeholders have attributed the high rate of boat mishaps on several reasons including lack of life jackets, overloading of boats, violations of safety rules among others.
They argued that NIWA, an agency under the newly created marine and Blue Economy Ministry, which is saddled with the responsibility of enforcing and ensuring safety of lives and properties on the nation’s inland waterways are not doing enough to enforce safety and regulations.
Maritime experts further queried the regulatory functions and level of alertness of NIWA in ensuring their constitutional responsibility of ensuring safety on the inland Waterways. They posited that for mishaps to end, NIWA should be a department in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
They argued that though, NIWA had been claiming responsibility of control of all inland waterways in the country, the authority seems not prepared yet to tackle incessant boat mishaps due to lack of capacity and administrative competence to do that nationwide.
A maritime stakeholders, Kelechi Onuoha, stated that since Marine and Blue Economy Ministry has been created and the government wants to maximise potentials inherent in the sector, some agencies should be merged to give room for efficiency.
According to Onuoha, who is a clearing agent, NIWA has no capacity to make the nation’s waterways safe and may be the black sheep of the newly created ministry.
“The federal government created Marine and Blue Economy Ministry in other to maximise potentials in our waters. But, the actions and recent happenings on the nation’s waterways have shown that it may not be achieved if certain actions are not taken. For instance, the nation’s inland waterways is now a death trap, people are dying everyday and it seems there is no end in sight.”
“How do we explain the death of 41 persons in less than three days? If this boat mishap had been air mishap will the government sit akimbo? The government needs to find solutions to incessant boat mishaps because it’s going out of hand,” he stated.
When asked for the way forward, Onuoha who make use of the inland waterways both for transporting his cargoes and to work, advised that NIWA should be a department in NIMASA.
“NIWA seems overwhelmed. They should be a department in NIMASA. They lack capacity to carryout regulatory functions on the waterways. People can’t continue dying on our waterways. The government shouldn’t feel unconcerned about the plight of the masses. They should reorganise NIWA and make it more functional for better efficiency,” he stated.
On his part, the national president, National Council of Managing Director of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, bemoaned loss of lives on the inland waterways, saying facilities such as life jackets, dredging and standard ferry service should be introduced by NIWA.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP, he said the nation’s inland waterways lack regulation by agency saddled with the responsibility to do that.
Amiwero said, “the inland waterways is a different entity, it should be dredged and regulated. It’s just like operating Aeroplane. the inland waterways is not being regulated, the regulators are only interested in collecting money from boat Operators.
“NIWA should regulate the inland waterways in other to meet up with international standard what we are doing in Nigeria is traditional boat movement. We are not dredging the lines, provision of facilities such as jetties and life jackets and the rest should be top priority.”
The foremost clearing agent, however, disagree with the call for merger, saying if the waterways is properly regulated by NIWA, there won’t be incessant boat mishaps.
“It’s not about merging people or agencies, because that’s not the problems but tools that will make work easier must be available. Do they have the tools to make things work?
“Do we have modern facilities to sustain the current trend? These are things that are critical that are not being done. People are in NIWA idling away and Nigerians are losing their lives.”
“It’s not about merging but they should provide tools and the inland waterways should be regulated to ensure that people are safe,” he said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, a boat operator in Lagos said encumbrances such as rocks, shallow water, wooden boats and presence of regulation as causes of boat accidents.
He, however, said NIWA is only focused on generating money rather than providing safety and regulations.
He urged provisions of buoys especially on inland waterways in the northern part of the country, saying that would also help drivers know shallow and deep depth.
“The government should come, remove all the debris on the water. Debris such as sludge, wrecks and all dilapidated jetties should be removes from the water so that there won’t be serious accident. Because safety first. We want NIMASA, NIWA to come to our aide”
He, however stated that jetties should be provided across the states, especially the rural areas.
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