Lagos: NIWA Suspends Boat Operations To Ikorodu Terminal
The National Inland Waters Authority (NIWA) said it has suspended all boat operations to the Ikorodu Ferry Terminal.
The Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Sarat Braimah, in a statement on Friday, said the development is due to strange rebounds of water hyacinth, which affected the Ikorodu water corridors.
Recall that a commercial passenger boat, ‘Oyebola Marine’, on Thursday, caught fire at the loading point in Ikorodu Ferry Terminal, however, all passengers onboard the boat were rescued alive.
Speaking on the incident, Braimah, confirmed that she had ordered an immediate suspension of boat operations to and from the Ikorodu ferry terminal.
She explained that the move was to avoid breakdowns of boat engines and avoidable boat mishaps by the water hyacinth in the area.
According to her “In the alternative, and pending when a navigable passage access can be created, I have directed all registered boat operators to relocate all operational activities to Majidun until a navigable and safe route is established and approved by NIWA.”
The Lagos Area Manager of NIWA said, “To effectively oversight this directive, the Ikorodu Chapter Chairman of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria, Mr Mojofodun Olusoji, has been mandated to ensure all operators in the axis will comply with the directive to avoid risking the lives of people.”
Braimah disclosed that NIWA has detailed its marine safety corp and police command to condone off the affected areas in Ikorodu.
“We are not taking chances at all with this water hyacinth, which has presented an unusual stubborn resistance and rebound despite our sustained efforts to check its menace,” she added.
The NIWA Lagos boss lamented that the movement of boats in and out of Ikorodu terminal has been laborious over time, “Forcibly impacting boat engines and causing delays.”
She declared that NIWA is concerned about the safety of both operators and passengers, adding “Hence the directive to relocate all operations to Majidun and to suspend activities to Ikorodu terminal until we can create a safe navigable corridor.”
