The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has condoled with families of victims of the boat mishap that claimed fifteen lives in Katsina state and vowed to ensure that all measures will be put in place to curb further occurrences within the waterways.
The Authority recalled that the boat mishap had occurred on May 4 around 11.00pm in Mai-Adua Local Government Area of the state. “We wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. We are greatly pained that this mishap occurred, despite all the measures the Authority has put in place to forestall such mishaps,” the Authority said in a statement on Friday signed by its General Manager (Corporate Affairs), Jibril Darada’u.
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The Authority also disclosed that it recently distributed life jackets and some patrol vessels to all its Area Offices across the country, to enhance surveillance and monitoring of activities on the waterways.
NIWA, therefore appealed to passengers and boat drivers to obey the rules and guidelines regulating passenger transportation to include the use of life jackets; no sailing at night; the use of standard boats and not overloading the boats, stating that they are key guidelines for safe passenger transportation.
“As we condole with the government and people of Katsina State and in particular, the families of the deceased, we shall not relent on our efforts to curb these occurrences within our inland waterways,” the statement added.
