By Chimezie Godfrey
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Wasiu Eshinlokun -Sanni (APC, Lagos Central), has condoled with the governments and people of Adamawa and Niger States, following the deaths occasioned by the recent boat accidents in their two respective states.
Senator Eshinlokun-Sanni also expressed his sympathy to other stakeholders over the boat mishaps that have led to loss of lives and injury of score of residents in the two statutes.
The Senate Committee Chair on Marine Transport stated this in a statement personally signed by him and made available to TheIdeal News on Tuesday.
He said, “The death of 15 persons in Adamawa and 24 persons in Niger on our local waters is sad and regrettable. The development is a wake-up call to all to enforce extant safety regulations along our inland waterways across the nation to mitigate against the recurrence of this maritime fatalities.
“This needless loss of lives has to stop. We must do everything to safeguard lives as the lives of our people are sacred.”
Senator Eshinlokun-Sanni further queried the sea worthiness of some of vessels plying the nation’s waters and blamed them for engaging in overloading and lack of safety vests as the major causes of boat accidents.
Reiterating his commitment towards the reversal of the ugly trend, Eshinlokun-Sanni said, “On behalf of the National Assembly, I pledge to provide the necessary parliamentary support in form of bills and budgetary provisions, as required.
He also reassured the riverine areas of the country from Abia to Lagos, Bonny to Escravos, saying that some proactive measures will be put in place, to secure them from possible water calamity in the future.
