2 weeks Ago By Paul Ogbuokiri
Amidst incessant boat mishaps in the Nigerian waterways, the Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji has expressed the determination of the Authority under his watch to ensure the new Transport Code. Speaking at an interactive session with journalists in Lagos at the weekend, Oyabamiji disclosed that since about a year ago he was appointed as the NIWA MD, a new Water Transportation Code, 2023, saying the code will be diligently enforced to curb the incessant boat mishap in the Nigerian waterways. He noted that the twin issues of safety and insecurity on the inland waterways always overshadow every gain recorded by NIWA whenever it happens, saying to confront this headlong, “we have reconsidered our safety campaign approach to focus more on the grassroots using community resources.
” Oyebamiji disclosed that within the review period, “we have deployed several operational assets including 15 boats of varying capacities and uses to promote efficiency and service delivery. Similarly, we have provided greater incentives to our workers through the official commissioning of several capital projects to promote a better working environment. Not only this, we have continued to treat the welfare of our workers as a priority always.
According to him, within one year, NIWA has carried out more grassroots safety campaigns than at any other time within the same period. Also, we have deployed water marshals across different loading and unloading points in the country. It may interest you to know that within three months of its launch,.
