NIWA suspends boat operations to Ikorodu terminal

Following the resurfacing of Water Hyacinth along the Ikorodu water corridors, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has suspended all boat operations to the Ikorodu ferry terminal.

Sarat Lara Braimah, area manager of Lagos for NIWA, ordered an immediate suspension of boat operations to and from the Ikorodu ferry terminal to avoid possible breakdown of boat engines and boat mishaps.

Alternatively, Braimah directed all registered boat operators to relocate all operational activities to Majidun until a navigable and safe passageway is found and approved by NIWA.

To effectively oversight this directive, Mojofodun Olusoji, Ikorodu chapter chairman of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON), has been mandated by NIWA to ensure all operators in the Ikorodu area comply with the directive until a safe navigable corridor is created.

Also, the Waterway Authority detailed its Marine Safety Corp and its police command to condone off the areas impacted by the surging water Hyacinth in Ikorodu.

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“We are not taking chances at all with this water Hyacinth, which presented an unusual stubborn resistance and rebound despite our sustained efforts to check its menace,” Braimah said.

She said the movement of boats in and out of the Ikorodu terminal has been laborious over time, forcibly impacting boat engines, and causing a delay in boat turnaround in the corridor, which sometimes leads to panicking by passengers.

“We are concerned about the safety of both operators and passengers, hence the directive to relocate all operational activities to Majidun and to suspend activities to Ikorodu terminal,” she added.