Lagos, Nigeria, February 16, 2016 – Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudahiru Obasa today lambasted the Ministry of Transport and the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) attributing incessant accidents in the state’s waterways to inefficient management of water transportation.
He categorically stated that the Ministry of Transportation and LASWA were responsible for incessant boat accidents on the state waterways, saying henceforth “you will be held responsible for any accident.”
Obasa made the disclosure today after members had taken comments from the State commissioner for Transportation, Dayo Mobereola and Managing Director of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Abisola Camson during plenary.
The House had last week summoned the Commissioner and the MD LASWA over re-occurrence of boat accidents that have claimed several lives in the state.
Obasa who conspicuously expressed displeasure over the responses of the duo, stated that “as we speak, you have no regulation. You have not been able to do the necessary regulation to monitor the activities of the operators and you have been operating without board.
“How many times have you taken time to be on the waterways? What is your staff strength? What is the local government doing about this? It shows in fact, without God, you are not in existence,” Obasa roared.
The Speaker however said that a stakeholders meeting with all the relevant agencies, would be called to address the issue holistically.
Earlier in her reaction to questions posed by the lawmakers, LASWA MD said that some of the challenges the authority has been facing included a judgement that was delivered against LASWA, adding that Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has been leveraging on the judgment.
Camson explained that some of the causes of the tragedies recorded on the waterways were as a result of over speeding by operators, vessels not fitted with the required technology like speedometer and running into fallen logs along the waterways among others.
She added that “what we are now doing is to work in collaboration with marine police, operators to adhere with safety regulations.”
She disclosed over 2 million passengers ply the Lagos waterways on monthly basis, adding that all the 26 jetties on the waterways are being manned by water guards who would be responsible for ensuring regulation.
In his comments, the commissioner for Transportation, Mobereola said since the incident occurred there had been stakeholders meeting where LASWA, NIWA, Marine police and Lagos State Safety Corps were in attendance.
He added that the state government has been doing “everything humanly possible to avert such accident in future. Water transportation is one of the cardinal programmes of the state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and would also do things in accordance with that regards.”
