..says 58 rescued in six months

By Bose Adelaja

As a way to minimise boat mishaps on Lagos waterways, Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA, has said the agency will soon launch the first Inland Waterways Command and Control Centre on its waterways.

The agency also said it will introduce waterways mobile court to checkmate illegal activities among boat users.

LASWA General Manager, Mr Damilola Emmanuel, who disclosed this to Vanguard at his corporate headquarters in Lagos, said, this will be the first of its kind in West Africa.

According to him, the project which is expected to be inaugurated in the first quarter of 2022 is designed to monitor operational activities within the state waterways and enable the agency to respond swiftly to emergency, data capturing and record the number of accidents and activities of passenger-boats on its waterways.

He said, “LASWA is set to introduce the first Inland Waterways control room to gather data, and respond swiftly to emergencies on our waterways. The control room (centre) which will take off in early 2022 will help curb accidents on waterways as the state-of-the-art cameras will be installed within the Ojo, Ikorodu and Island axis,” he said.

The General Manager said the mobile court will curb illegal activities on the waterways as offenders will be prosecuted accordingly. 

He said although the rate of accidents on waterways had reduced drastically, but the agency was working on ways to improve on this.  “in the last six months, three accidents occurred with 58  persons rescued and one death recorded.

“With the creation of the mobile court,  the state would further reduce the rate of accidents on the waterways by prosecuting  regulation defaulters.

Apart from fines imposed on defaulters especially those who commute at illegal hours, he said their boats are confiscated by the agency until they are able to justify their reasons for travelling at night.

As part of activities to ensure safer waterways before the Yuletide, he said all damaged navigational signs on the waterways will be replaced before the Yuletide.

On infrastructural development, he said the state is renovating 15 jetties and one terminal across the state in a bid to enhance delivery of water transportation services to boat users across the states, ” 60 per cent of the renovated jetties are almost ready for operation.

“Some of infrastructure are 65% ready for utilisation after completion and commissioning by the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure and Development, the facilities will be handed over to LASWA for proper maintenance, operationalization and supervision.

“so far, we have donated 3,000 life jackets and hope to donate 2,000 more at various jetties,” said Emmanuel.

Similarlly, he said additional 48 water guards have been deployed to the waterways to improve waterways safety and monitoring.