Following the capsised of a local boat, MV Tari, on waterways of Okoroma in Nembe which claimed yet-to-be identified number of people, Coastal and Waterways Communities in Bayelsa State have appealed to the Federal Government to establish a Federal Waterways Safety Corp to safeguard the lives of coastal dwellers.
A statement issued in Yenagoa, the chairman of the Association of Coastal and Waterways Communities of Nigeria (ACWN), Bayelsa State chapter, Dinipkete Odede, said the appeal became necessary due to accidents involving local boats which has claimed many lives and destroyed properties worth several millions of naira.
Odede further said that the establishment of the Waterways Safety Corps has become pertinent due to the fact that Niger Delta region, especially Bayelsa State, had been declared the centre of maritime accidents, a situation that has gravely affected economic activities in the region.
She hinted that Bayelsa State has also been declared the headquarters of sea pirates, due to the fact that coastal dwellers had been denied access to social amenities, such as road, potable water and electricity for many years.
She said: “I wish to draw the attention of government to the fact that it has become imperative to have a Federal Waterways Safety Corps (FWSC) due to the rise in cases of boat mishaps on the waterways and that coastal women who are involve in trading are mostly affected.
“Just as the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) works to safeguard the lives of road users on while states with mainly riverside terrains like Bayelsa should not be short-changed but provided with safety on the waterways as well.”
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