The House of Representatives Committee on Inland Waterways vowed on Wednesday to address the country’s incessant cases of boat mishaps through effective legislation and oversight.
The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ojema Ojotu, gave this assurance during his remarks at the inaugural meeting of the Committee in Abuja.
He stated that the inaugural meeting of the Committee marked the official launch of the Committee in the 10th National Assembly.
The lawmaker noted that there have been several reports of deaths resulting from boat mishaps in the country. He assured that the Committee would tackle this issue comprehensively through effective oversight of the relevant government agencies and adequate legislation.
He also mentioned that the House Committee would oversee the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy and its parastatals, excluding those under other committees’ jurisdiction. This includes the Inland Waterways, the National Inland Waterways Authority, and their budgets.
Furthermore, a member of the Committee, Hon. Martins Esin (Akwa-Ibom, PDP), stated that the responsibility placed on the committee was substantial due to the dwindling revenue generation of the NIWA as an agency. He emphasized that the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) is a primary revenue-generating government agency and suggested that the committee should focus on revenue generation during its meetings with the agency.
In his contribution, Hon. Lanre Oladebo (Osun, PDP) said that the Committee would work towards ensuring that relevant government agencies enforce the use of life jackets in water transportation.
Committee Chairman Hon. Ojema, however, assured members of the Committee that under his leadership, they would provide NIWA and other marine stakeholders with the necessary support to make the nation’s waterways navigable.
. TheWitness
