By Uzor Odigbo
A joint inspection team of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Nigeria Maritime Administration Safety Agency (NIMASA), and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), on joint inspection and enforcement exercise, on Thursday at the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, detained barges with uncertified crew members.
The team also shut down unlicensed container terminals around the axis.
In a statement signed by the General Manager of LASWA, Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, LASWA and other sister agencies on the waterways, warned Barge Operators and other Waterways stakeholders to always ensure adherence to Waterways rules and regulations or risk being sanctioned.
The LASWA boss reiterated the commitment of the Lagos State government towards the safety of lives and properties on the waterways, while encouraging sustainable investment into the water transport sector.
The joint Operation team further said that the enforcement exercise would be continuously carried out until the waterways were free of unqualified craft crews and substandard jetties.
Barges seen wrongly anchored and obstructing visibility on the channel were immediately compelled to move out of the right of way and find better access and approved access to operate.
The action of the task force on Thursday which took most barge operators and illegal jetty Operators by surprise, was sequel to the recent uproar generated by careless barge operators and unlicensed tug boat crew members, some leading to avoidable fatalities.
Chairman of the federal agencies Committee on the activities of barge operations, Captain Daniel Hosea Gangun stated that the committee would not relent until there’s total compliance of barge and illegal jetty Operators to adhere to extant regulations on transportation on the Waterways.
On the buy in by stakeholders, Captain Gangun disclosed that the organised private sector barge operators association gave its nod to the enforcement regime, adding that their petitions to sanitize barge operations informed the federal agencies intervention.
According to a statement by NIWA, the sealed illegal jetties and tugboats without approved documentations, were manned by NIWA police to prevent violation of the seal order.
The clamp down and enforcement Initiative is ongoing and would visit other channels within and around the Lagos waterways in weeks to come.
In a related development the newly employed Water Guards of the Lagos State Waterways Authority LASWA are currently undergoing training and capacity building in preparation to their deployment to various jetties and terminal within the state.
The new officers were trained on Marine safety, pre boarding check, fire fighting drill, Operational hazards, crowd control, First Aid, CPR practices and conflict resolutions techniques.
Recall that there was viral video of barge laden containers that sunk recently at Kirikiri waters , a situation that triggered stakeholders call for the heads of maritime agencies Chief Executive Officers to resign their appointment.
They equally, called on NIMASA to compensate the affected shippers over poor enforcement and regulations of barging activities along the Lagos Pilotage District.
Goods worth billions of Naira were allegedly destroyed due to the incident.
Barge Operators under the auspices of Barge Operators Association of Nigeria (BOAN) also threatened to withdraw their activities for two days as part of measures to enlighten, educate and sensitize players of the industry in line with barging operations.