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Tag: Waterways

  • Anambra Assembly orders compulsory use of life jackets on waterways

    Anambra Assembly orders compulsory use of life jackets on waterways

    The Anambra House of Assembly, on Tuesday, passed a motion making compulsory the use of life jackets on waterways in the state.

    This followed a motion moved at plenary, on Tuesday, under Matters of Urgent Public Importance by Mr Ikenna Ofodeme, member representing Ekwusigo constituency and Majority Leader.

    Ofodeme, while making his submission, said that many lives had been lost as a result of accidents on waterways due to passengers and operators of boats not using life jackets.

    He said that the absence of regulations compelling use of life jackets posed a significant risk to the lives of passengers and operators of transportation on waterways

    “Section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution stipulates that the protection of life and property remain the primary purpose of government.

    “The safety of citizens utilising water transportation is of paramount importance too.

    “Therefore, adequate provisions and distribution of certified life jackets be made to all maritime businesses with strict enforcement mechanisms to ensure proper usage by passengers and operators alike.

    “There should also be public awareness to educate citizens on the importance of wearing life jackets during water transportation and the potential consequences of non-compliance,”he said.

    Supporting the motion, Mr Golden Iloh, representing Ihiala Constituency II, said that such regulations would prevent accidents, minimising casualties, and fostering a culture of responsible water travel.

    Also contributing to the debate, Mr Noble Igwe, representing Ogbaru Constituency l, said the motion was apt to save lives of residents and maritime business operators alike.

    The Speaker of the House, Dr Somtochukwu Udeze, said the safety of lives and property of the citizenry was paramount to the government.

    “The state Assembly calls on the state Governor to direct the Commissioner for Transportation and other relevant agencies to compel lthe compulsory use of life jackets on all waterways in the state to ensure safety of lives,” he said.

  • Delta Govt to demolish structures on waterways

    Delta Govt to demolish structures on waterways

    Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, says his administration plans to demolish all structures on waterways to tackle the menace of flooding in the state.

    Oborevwori stated this at a thanksgiving service in honour of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Dennis Guwor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Redemption Hall, Mega Parish, Effurun.

    He promised to restore the lost glory of Warri, Uvwie, and its environs through massive infrastructure development.

    “A few days ago, I was sent a viral video on the flooded Airport Road in Warri which of course was caused by our people because they have built structures along waterways.

    “They have also blocked drainage channels with refuse, but I can assure you that drainages in Warri will be taken care of and flood will no longer disturb our people when we are through.

    “We will rebuild infrastructures in Warri with good roads, flyovers, drainages and street lights and we shall restore the lost glory of the oil city,” he said.
    Oborevwori expressed delighted in joining the speaker and his family in thanking God for his elevation as number one lawmaker in the state, saying that God wae always pleased when men gave thanks to Him.

    He advised the speaker to hold on to God in his private and public life.

    Oborevwori also advised the speaker to trust God in his private and public life and to remain humble and accountable to his colleagues.

    “For you to survive as speaker, as a leader, you must be humble, transparent and accountable and it is on record that I paid N530 million into the treasury and I also left money in the coffers of the State House of Assembly.

    “There is no House of Assembly in the country that has done what I did and it is my prayer that you succeed and perform better than I did.

    “I survived six years as speaker because I had a good Governor who listens and I urge you to always do the right thing despite pressures.

    “As governor, I am committed to the welfare of the legislature and we will work together to make life more meaningful for our people,” he said.

    In his remarks, the speaker while expressing appreciation to God for his elevation, said that his continuous thanksgiving to God had been seeing him through in his political journeys.

    “The spirit of thanksgiving has, so far, taken me from the base to the top in my political journey, particularly as lawmaker.

    Earlier, the pastor in charge RCCG of Warri Province, Region 23, Pastor Charles Obasa stressed the need for public office holders to use their position to impact on humanity.

    In his Sermon titled:” The Characteristics of Impactful People”, he advised them to ensure purposeful leadership.

    ”People will always remember you by the impact you made in their lives.

    ”Leadership loses purpose if the leader is not impacting on the people,” he said.

    Obasa who took his Bible reading from the book of Psalm 103:3-4, stressed the importance of Thanksgiving, saying it was a driving force to get more.

  • FG has taken charge of Nigeria waterways security – Sambo

    FG has taken charge of Nigeria waterways security – Sambo

    Minister of Transportation Mu’azu Sambo says the Federal Government has taken charge of the country’s waterways through the implementation of the Deep Blue project.

    Sambo said this during the 2nd Edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023) in Abuja on Monday.

    He said since the inauguration of the project in  June 2021, the country had not recorded any case of piracy in its maritime domain.

    ”The ministry in its versatile and intermodal mandate has taken charge of the safety and security of the nation’s international waters in our waterways, and railway corridors in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders.

    ”Now, it may interest you to note that the Gulf of Guinea is the most notorious region of the world, as far as piracy is concerned.

    ” To tame that in Nigeria’s exclusive economic zone, the ministry implemented the deep blue project, otherwise known as the integrated national security and waterways protection infrastructure.

    ”In order to prevent illegal activities in Nigeria’s maritime waters, thereby aiding regional security in the Gulf of Guinea and maritime organisation of West and Central Africa  jurisdictions.

    ”The project is also aimed at enforcing maritime regulations to enhance the safety of lives at sea.

    ”With this impressive record, we are preparing to challenge the war zone insurance burden on Nigeria bound ships by the international shipping community,”he said.

    According to the Minister, the Buhari administration also assented to the Anti Piracy Bill, adding that it is an important legislation which has defiled several administrations before 2015.

    He said the legislation would prevent and suppress piracy, armed robbery and any other unlawful act against a ship, aircraft, and any other maritime traffic, including fixed and floating platforms.

    He further said that the bill had opened the doorway for the administration of justice for piracy and other maritime offences in the country.

    On inland waterways, he said Buhari’s administration had taken it as an alternative mode of transportation other than road, air and rail as it was cheap and environmentally friendly.

    ”We have over 10,000 kilometres of inland waterways in Nigeria, in addition to about 850 kilometres of coastal waters. So what business do you have moving containers from Lagos to Onitsha by road?

    ”If we develop our inland waterways sufficiently, then we’ll be able to have our goods competitively, the prices of our goods in the international market will be very competitive, just like importing goods will be very competitive,” Sambo said.

    The minister restated that the Onitsha port had been successfully concessioned and the government had established ports at Baro in Niger, Lokoja in Kogi and Oguta in Imo States.

    On development of the inland dryports in the country by the Federal Government, Sambo said the essence was to bring shipping closer to the people.

    According to him, the government had successfully declared the Kaduna and Dala inland dryports as ports of origin, adding that other ports such as the Funtua, Isialangwa, Aba, Jos, Maiduguri among others were at various levels of completion.

  • LASG warns residents over structures on waterways

    Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), has warned residents to stop building structures on waterways.

    Oke-Osanyintolu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday that indiscriminate building on waterways was largely responsible for flooding in the state.

    “Residents should stop building structures to prevent the free flow of water.

    “The government will re-enforce laws against illegal structure but with a human face; we will reconstruct, reorganised and redeveloped every area in Lagos.

    “Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Lagos State as a state of emergency.

    “By this, we are improving on our infrastructure and LASEMA is well equipped to carry out a reorganisation of our mode of building.

    “Lagos residents should key into the vision of the state government.

    “We are appealing to our citizens that though we will talk, we will also act because we are ready for the job,’’ said.

    Oke-Osanyintolu said that the governor after going around Lagos metropolis declared emergency on roads, sanitation and environment.

    He said that one of the missions of the present administration was to look into enforcement of the state law, especially on waste disposal.

    He said that there was a need for Lagos residents to imbibe positive behavioural change to enable the government to achieve its aims of protecting the lives and property of citizens.

    The LASEMA boss said that Lagos state environmental agencies had sealed off many collapsed building sites.

    He alleged that the illegal building owners usually engage in construct work at midnight but said “the agencies are now on top of their responsibility’’.

  • Buhari approves purchase of vessels to reduce illegal activities on waterways

    President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the purchase of monitoring vessels to reduce unregulated fishing and boost security on the waterways.

    The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo disclosed this at the 10th Annual Ministerial Conference of the Fisheries Committee for West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), held Friday in Abuja.

    He said safety of the nation’s waterways remained a key priority to the current administration.

    The Vice President restated Federal Government determination to reducing fish imports into the country, saying the efforts are already yielding significant results.

    Osinbajo said within 2017, local fish production increased from 450, 000 metric tons from early January to 1.1 million metric tons.

    “The safety of Nigeria maritime is also a principal concern to us. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the purchase of some patrol vessels for the department of fishery which would be managed with the collaboration of the Nigerian Navy. These vessels will boost the research and rescue capacities of the relevant security agencies, deter illegal fishing and help secure our vessels at sea.

    “In the northeast of Nigeria where Boko Haram has devastated the fishery industry which supplies most of the West African states. Earlier this year, president Buhari approve the establishment of Lake Chad Naval Base to boost security and fast-track the restoration of the livelihood in that zone.

    “Theme of this conference which is to invest in the growth and sustainability of fishery in West Africa, it is important even in term of sharing the experience and lay aspiration for the economic well-being of our people. Our effort to reduce fish import and increase local fish production by encouraging the private sectors to invest in the aquaculture is yielding positive results. In the domestic fish production for example, in the last two years has increased from 450,000 metric tons to 1.1million metric tons, and we hope this growth we be exponential,” he added.

    Osinbajo, who emphasised the need to support the regional aquaculture industry described it as the efficient employer of labour.

    He stressed that as part of commitments from the federal government to support the fisheries committee, a sum of $200, 000 have been paid to the FCWC while the outstanding will be provided shortly.

    In his opening remarks, Chairman of the conference, James Kollie identified need for participants to explore opportunities that will ensure priced fishery resources in the region enhances it’s economic growth in a sustainable manner.

    According to him, the potential of fishery goes beyond resources found in the maritime environment but reliable employer of labour.

    Kollie, who is the Liberian Minister of Fishery added that, “Fish is not only a source of animal protection for more than 375 million people in West Africa, it is also a viable economic resource that provides employment and livelihood for over 100 million people in the region.”

    The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Heineken Lokpobiri advised participants to take seriously issues relating to effective management of fishery resources.

    He acknowledged that the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing deserves collected efforts which should be sustained.

    However, Lokpobiri lauded the FCWC Secretary-General for the conference theme titled, “Investment for Growth and Sustainability in Fisheries in West Africa.”

    Participants at the conference included representatives from Benin, Cote d’ Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo. Others are African Union, European Union and Economic Community of West Africa State (ECOWAS).

     

  • NIMASA set to review wreckage removal policy on Nigerian waterways

    The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA has commenced campaign to review its wrecks removal policy in order to enhance efficiency.

    The Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Dakuku Peterside disclosedthis on Tuesday at a forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    Peterside said the agency will revisit the procedure of wreck removal from Nigerian waterways.

    He further said the review of the wreck removal process became inevitable, in order to enhance the efficiency of the process.

    In his words: “NIMASA is working under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Transportation to review wreck removal process in order to make Nigerian navigable waters safer for navigation by all. “Once we get the consent of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, we will put out Marine Notice to that effect.”

    The agency noted that the Nairobi convention provides for the process via which a ship can be declared a wreck adding that the agency had been following the law diligently.

    He explained that the menace of wreck on Nigerian waterways is a challenge inherited by the current administration at NIMASA adding that the implementation of the reviewed process will serve as a catalyst to boost wreck removal from Nigerian waterways.

    Recall that several groups of concerned Nigerians have called the attention of government and relevant agencies to the removal of several wreakages littered on Nigerian waterways.