• Gombe establishes marine transport service
To reduce the growing spate of boat mishaps in the country, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has increased the number of water marshals from 80 personnel at inception to 350 across the federation.
It said that the increase takes immediate effect.A statement by the Managing Director of NIWA, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, said the step was taken to enhance passenger safety in the sector.
He regretted that the recent mishaps in the marine sector were having a negative effect on the authority, vowing that it would not relent in its efforts to enhance safety in marine transportation.
Oyebamiji saidsince the appointment of the current management in October 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, NIWA has implemented a number of far-reaching reforms and initiatives aimed at reducing accidents on the waterways.
According to him, within the first six months of the administration, the long-awaited Water Transportation Code was gazetted and launched to regulate operators, passengers, and users ofwaterways.
He added that within the same period, the authority also inaugurated 15 new operational assets, including patrol boats, water ambulances, survey boats and passenger ferries, while also commissioning new facilities such as the NIWA Clinic and administrative building at its headquarters in Lokoja to improve efficiency.
NIWA has also announced an immediate ban on loading activities from all unauthorised loading points across the federation
Oyebamiji directed that no commercial passenger boat would be allowed to load from any point other than those officially recognised and registered by NIWA.
The DG, whilereeling out the new directivesduring a press conference in Abuja, also ordered that allcommercial boat operators must mandatorilyprovide lifejackets and ensure their use at all times. In addition, passenger boats are required to properly display their boat name letters and load lines.
Relatedly, the Gombe State government has inaugurated its first-ever marine transport service and provided life jackets for boat passengers.
The inauguration took place at Kupto village, Funakaye local area of the state, along the Upper River Gongola.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transportation, Usman Maijama’a Kallamu, urged passengers and operators to prioritise safety and adhere strictly tooperational guidelines.
He warned against boarding boats without life jackets and advised operators to avoid night journeys, citing safety concerns.
Kallamu reiterated the Governor Inuwa Yahaya administration’s commitment to harnessing all available modes of transportation for the benefit of citizens, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
