The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) on Thursday said it was satisfied with the judgements so far delivered by the courts over the lingering disputes with between it and the Lagos State Government.
Speaking on the occasion of the Safety and Awareness visit of the Management of NIWA to Lagos, the Managing Director of NIWA, Hajia Inna Maryam Ciroma recalled that on her first official visit to Lagos on assumption of office almost one year ago, she did promised to dialogue with the officials of Lagos state and to go to court for adjudication if nothing positive was arrived at through dialogue.
Hajia Ciroma however disclosed that the case eventually ended in the court and that most of the judgements given so far on the matters were favourable to NIWA.
According to her,” when I visited Lagos as the new MD of NIWA close to a year ago, I remembered that I promised that we shall dialogue with the officials of Lagos State and if it is not yielding the necessary results, then the law courts are there to adjudicate”.
“I am happy to let everybody know that the courts are already giving out judgement s of which most of them are in favour of NIWA and Nigerians who are not happy with the situations of things and went to court”.
“Of course, all of us cannot be lawyers but we are all educated and I know that under our constitution, Federal laws always supersede state laws. NIWA is a law of the Federal Parliament (CAP N47) of the laws of the Federation 2004, it is under the Exclusive Legislative list”, she said.
Hajia Ciroma who is also the Chief executive Officer of NIWA further stated that as a law abiding organization, NIWA would continue to defer to the law courts for adjudication in the areas of disputes and that it would continue to work hard to bring sanity to the inland waterways sub-sector in Lagos.
Speaking on the day’s event, she noted that the visit was in furtherance of the Authority’s drive to ensure safety on the nation’s waterways saying that the visit had taken them to Malale and Nupeko in Niger state as well as Igbokoda in Ondo state.
She called on the boat operators and passengers alike to adhere strictly to the NIWA’s safety regulations which according to her included, wearing of life jackets before boarding a boat, canoe or ferry, boat operators ensuring that they did not carry excess passengers on board, ensuring that locally made boat that is above 10 years is replaced, ensuring that only trained and certified captains should operate ferries and boats, ensuring that boat operators work within the approved period of 6am to 6pm are strictly adhered to amongst other safety tips.
The NIWA boss believed that if boat and ferry operators should adhere strictly to the safety tips and regulations by NIWA, there would be decline in boat mishaps on the nation’s waterways urging them to continue to work closely with NIWA.
Responding, the National President, Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON), Mr. Ganiyu Sekoni Balogun while thanking the NIWA Management for the Safety Awareness campaign in their area which he said was long overdue however begged them to ensure that the event holds regularly.
Mr. Balogun expressed appreciation to the NIWA boss for the life Jackets and other informative materials the authority donated to his members while asking her to donate more of the life jackets for the use of the boat operators in Lagos state and other riverine areas.
Highlights of the event were donation of 320 Life Jackets and other informative materials to ATBOWATON by the Management of NIWA, mock rescue exercise by officials of NIWA, goodwill message from some of the major stakeholders as well as question and answer session.
