No fewer than 200 market women from Kogi State have been involved in a boat mishap following the capsizing of the boat on the River Niger.
This was contained in a statement by the National Inland Waterways, NIWA on Friday.
Confirming the sad incident, the Head of the Media Department of NIWA, Suleman Makama, said the Market women were on their way to Kacha market in Niger State. However, their boat capsized along the Dambo-Ebuchi sections of River Niger, Killing several passengers.
Makama said, “There was indeed a boat mishap on Thursday involving quite several women going to the market in Niger State. We are still investigating to ascertain the number of people involved. As well as what led to the accident.”
An eyewitnesses report by Voice of Nigeria, VON, stated that the boat which belongs to one Musa Dangana. By the time of the incident, the boat was carrying over 200 passengers. These included market women and farm labourers, en route to the Kacha weekly market in Niger State.
According to VON, eight bodies were reportedly recovered. While search and rescue operations continue to find the remaining passengers.
Makama promised to get back to the media as soon as the details emerge on the development from NIWA operational office in Niger State.
Recall that the Managing Director of the Nigeria Inland Waterways, NIWA, Bola Oyebanji has identified human errors and disobedience to the marine safety standards as the major causes for the recurring boat mishaps in the past three years.
Oyebanji disclosed this while fielding questions from the members House Representatives Committee on NIWA who were on oversight function to the Headquarters of the Authority in Lokoja on Wednesday.
He, however, assured that the NIWA was committed to the safety of Nigerians using water transportation.
“Ninety- nine per cent of the mishaps on the waterways were results of human errors. Noting that research has shown that the operators are committing avoidable mistakes which shouldn’t have caused havoc,” Oyebanji said.
He added that some operators are repugnant to following rules and regulations.
“Imagine wooden boats taking over 150 to 200 passengers at a go, over and above its capacity,” Oyebanji said.
The Managing Director emphasized that the Transportation code requires revalidation. This, he said is because the operators have not been strictly following the code recently signed. The code makes it mandatory for a passenger to use a life jacket when boarding a boat.
source: VON
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