From Attah Ede, Makurdi

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has inaugurated a Safety and Awareness Campaign Committee to enforce the “No Life Jacket, No Crossing for Buruku/Abuku crossing point on River Katsina-Ala of Benue State.

Inaugurating the committee, Area Manager NIWA Makurdi Area Office, Samson Onobun maintained that the Safety Committee will work with other stakeholders in the water transportation sector to enforce safety regulations as prescribed by the Inland Waterways Transportation Regulations 2023.

Onobun said NIWA decided to bring the sensitisation and enlightenment campaign to Buruku LGA to team up with traditional rulers, community leaders and boat operators to launch the campaign in the Abuku harbour.

The area manager stated NIWA was striving to make water transportation safer and better all in the State, and enjoined boat operators to take the safety of passengers seriously so that anybody coming to crossing point will know that their life or property is safe.

“We want to make water transportation safer and better for everybody. We thank God that this year, we have no record of loss of lives here yet,

“We must make use of the Inland Waterways Transportation Regulations 2023 and so we are appealing to marine unions in the State to keep themselves abreast with the regulations because it is an offence to sail in Nigeria’s inland Waterways outside the law.

“Not using life jacket, night sailing are all criminalised under the law. The law also empowers Marine Police to carry out their duties more effectively,” emphasised Engr. Onobun.

While urging boat operators to always maintain their boats, the NIWA Makurdi Area Office Manager charged the people to ensure that no one crosses without using life jackets.

“There is a decision we have to make and let’s make it today. If we say without life jacket, you cannot enter boat, people will wear it”, he said,

 According to him, NIWA will soon commence training of boat operators in the Buruku/Abuku crossing point.

In their separate remarks, Second in Command, Marine Police, Benue Command, Patrick Akubueze who spoke on behalf of his boss and Safety Noah Daniel, Head Marine who took turns to give safety tips, emphasised the need to maintain the standard.

They all stated that boat operators Must always check the condition of boats, and also be in possession of important tools such as paddle, hand bailer, and use of life jackets.

They further charged them to avoid hard starting of engine, avoid night sailing (unless absolutely necessary, to save life).

Samuel Nakombu, who spoke on behalf of the Chair Tombo Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, commended NIWA for taking the “Safety on our Inland Waterways” to Buruku.

He said the union, in collaboration with the Safety Committee inaugurated by NIWA would continue to speak with boat operators and passengers and gradually, the regulations will be enforced.

Meanwhile, the District Head of Binev, Tyoor Dennis Nyitse said the people will gradually adapt to the water transportation regulations and appealed to NIWA to be slow in implementing the regulations.