By Usman Gwadabe
National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Kano State Area Office Manager, Alhaji Maude Nasir, has called on the public to ensure adherence to protocols for using waterways.
He made the call during a one-day sensitisation programme on safety for boat operators, fishermen, farmers, passengers and stakeholders held at Porto Golf Resort Water Front, Wase, Minjibir Local Government Area on Tuesday.
Alhaji Nasir disclosed that NIWA’s main objectives are to ensure regulations, management, control,ol, and checkmate the use of inland waterways.
He lamented that lack of control was the major problem causing boat mishaps, especially in Northern Nigeria, revealing that what happened recently in Kauran Mata, Madobi Local Government Area, was a result of overload and night travelling.
He said that the NIWA managing director always emphasises saving lives, maintaining that that was why this programme was themed ”Zero Tolerance To Boat Mishap on Nigerian Inland Waters’.
Alhaji Nasir further explained that the purpose of the sensitisation was to ensure the reduction and stoppage of mishaps, adding that safety on inland waterways is different from that of land.
He urged the boat operators to ensure their facilities are well before the operation, assuring that NIWA would do everything possible to minimise boat mishaps across the country.
The manager advised operators and passengers to always use a life jacket to save their lives, adding that the jacket has many features to enable users in an emergency situation.
He added that the doors of the NIWA are open for them, calling on them to channel their complaint or challenges to the agency for rapid response.
On his part, one of the stakeholders, Alhaji Abubakar Rabo Abdulkarim, said the importance of waterways could not be over-emphasised, explaining that since everyone could not survive without water, mismanagement is the major problem bedevilling society.
He told the inhabitants that they are not benefiting from 10 per cent of the water, appealing to them to liaise with stakeholders to use the water maximally.
Alhaji Abdulkarim advised the local government to authorise the private sector to invest in providing water channels, stressing that this would boost farming activities in the area, similar to the Kura local government area.
Malam Sunusi Dayyabu who represented the Minjibir Interim Management Officer, thanked the NIWA for selecting the dam for sensitisation as well as for dragging.
Also, Engr Baffa Bello Gaya applauded the agency for sensitisation the people on how to use inland waterways, appealing to people to make sure they apply what they learnt for safety purposes.
