Waterways Safety: NIWA Donates Boat Ambulance To Niger Community, Inaugurates Water Marshals.

...As Beneficiaries Shower Encomium On FG

As part of efforts to address boat mishaps in the country, the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA has donated a brown-new boat ambulance to Gbajibo riverine communities in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State. 

The Authority also inaugurated special water marshall aimed to further strengthen security apparatus and ensure all round safety and protection of lives and property of the waterways users.

This is even as the community leaders and stakeholders applauded the federal government for taking the bull by the horns. 

The gesture was in fulfilment of the Authority's promise made to the people of the communities as part of its safety measure to curb incessant boat mishaps in the state and beyond. 

Recall that the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, Mr Bola Oyebamiji was last year, visited the communities following the unfortunate boat incident that claimed Iives.

Unveiling the boat ambulance on Saturday, the NIWA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bola Oyebamiji said the initiative was part of NIWA's unwavering commitment and dedication to sanitize and strengthen safety standards in the country .

According to him, the provision of boat ambulance would in no measure complement the Authority's transportation guidelines and reduce the number of water transportation tragedies in the state. 

Oyebamiji who was represented by the General Manager, Business Development, NIWA, Olawale Adetola said the Authority is poised to eliminate any form of mishaps on the country's waterways. 

He said the need to increase surveillance on Waterways hence the inauguration of Water marshals and procurement of boat ambulance. 

"We are calling on the community to assist them. They should see the boat ambulance as their own and not as government property because it is to serve the communities. 

"Whatever they can do to ensure that this ambulance is not tampered with, they must ensure that nobody steals anything from it. They must make judicious use of the facility to ensure that it keeps speed span at all days so that it would serve the purpose to which it was procured", he added.

In his remarks, NIWA General Manager, Port and Environmental Services, Agbashi Fidelis described the gesture as a testament to the avowed commitment of the Authority to safety. 

"NIWA has a mandate to ensure that activities on waterways are done safely and seamlessly to the benefit and interest of everybody. So far, NIWA, through its various initiatives has been able to put in place some of these strategies to ensure safety. 

"With this facility, NIWA has further proven that every life is very important and it is necessary to ensure safety for all. This is a true demonstration of what NIWA has done today," he said 

Speaking on behalf of the community leaders and stakeholders, Abdullahi Gbajibo said: "This initiative means a lot to us. It will safe the lives of the people in our community. Though when the NIWA MD came, he gave us life-jacket but we still have shortage of it. We need more. They should assist us so that everybody can wear it whenever they travel through water", he said