The Nation Newspaper

Tag: waterways

  • Jonathan pledges to invest N7tr in inland waterways

    The Federal Government will invest N7,405 trillion in inland waterways under its transformation agenda to address infrastructure deficit and boost the economy, President Goodluck Jonathan has said.

    Speaking at the first international conference and exhibition organised by the National Inland Waterways Authority ( NIWA) in Lagos,  President Jonathan, represented by the Minister of Transpot Senator Idris Umar, said infrastructural challenges, were retarding the growth and development of the economy.

    The President said his administration has approved  N25 billion for the dredging of River Benue.

    The theme of the conference was: “Modernising Inland Water Infrastructure and Vessels for Safe and Sustainable Inland Waterways Transportation in Nigeria.”

    The Federal Government, the President said, has therefore, created the appropriate legal and institutional framework that will promote Private-Public Partnership ( PPP) to accelerate the necessary development in the inland waterways.

    “My administration has continue to support the development of the inland waterways because transportation is the bedrock of the economy of any nation.

    “In addition to our present efforts, government has plans to invest an estimated N7.405trillion for the inland waterways sub-sector before 2020 to address the infrastructure deficit.

    “There is a great need to attend to the infrastructural deficit that has greatly constraint economic growth and development in the country,” the President said.

    President Jonathan also assured the foreign and local investors at the gathering that the transport sector Is a major area of concern in his transformation agenda and urged them to invest heavily in the sector.

    He directed the management of NIWA to consider the use of PPP to increase their funding capacity.

    Private sector investment in the inland waterways, President Jonathan said, is necessary for quick transformation of the sector.

    “To stimulate economic growth through our inland waterways, my administration has put in place necessary machinery to dredge River Benue.

    “The government has no doubt that the vision which informed huge investment made on the inland waterways sub-sector will encourage private sector participation which will lead to a rewarding return on investment.

    “River ports located at Baro in Niger State, Oguta in Imo State and Lokoja in Kogi State are also being constructed with several jetties across the country. All the River ports will be concessioned to private sector upon completion.”

    President Jonathan also disclosed that his administration has procured patrol boats to provide security within the inland waterways. He said government was vigorously pursuing the delivery of intra-coastal system to reduce pressure on the nation’s road transport network.

    NIWA’s Managing Directo Hajiya Inna Maryam  Ciroma said the conference was organised to bring together stakeholders and intellectuals in the sub- sector to brainstorm and provide a roadmap for repositioning and improving activities on the nation’s inland waters.

    The NIWA boss said the Federal Government approved the rehabilitation of the ab

    andoned Onitsha River port so that it would be put in proper and effective use.

    She stated further that the objective of the conference was to ensure maximum utilisation of the dredged River Niger.

    “For maximum utilisation of the dredged River Niger, the authority thought it wise to bring together various stakeholders in the inland waterways sub-sector in a gathering like this for dialogue and exchange of ideas as to the sustainability, safety and utilisation of our inland waterways including the tourism potentials for the growth and development of our economy.

    “For the dredged River Niger to be put into effective use, the Federal Government approved the rehabilitation of the abandoned Onitsha River Port which is being put up for concessioning by Messrs Green Stratos of India under the supervision of ICRC,” she said

  • NIWA holds conference in Lagos today

    The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) international conference and exhibition will begin today in Lagos.

    It will end on Thursday.

    The aim of the forum, according to NIWA, is to bring local and international stakeholders together to brainstorm on how the inland waterways infrastructure, including vessels can be improved upon.

    The theme of the conference is ‘Modernising inland waterways infrastructure and vessels for safe and sustainable inland water transportation, and it is expected to draw experts from the International Maritime Organisation(IMO) inland waterways operators, boat operators, marine and dredging companies, ferry services operators, and oil and gas firms, banking institutions.

    States with inland waterways are also expected to participate.

    The conference, NIWA said, is expected to showcase development in the inland waterways sub-sector.

    NIWA’s General Manager Public Relations Mr Tayo Fadile said President Goodluck Jonathan was being  expected as the special guest of honour, Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar is the chief host,while the Managing Director of NIWA Hajiya Inna Maryam Ciroma is the host.

    NIWA, he said, has organised several awareness and safety campaigns in various parts of the country including Niger, Ondo and Lagos states to boost water transportation.

    NIWA, he said, donated more than 1000 life jackets across the country to boost safety i n the sector.

    Fadile said the event was borne out of the need to bring to the knowledge of the local and international community the business potential of the dredged River Niger.

    He said the Federal Government had pumped a lot of money into dredging the River Niger and it was only fit to have it put to a profitable use.

    “The idea is to bring relevant stakeholders together both locally and internationally to brainstorm and examine critically how the nation’s inland waterways infrastructure including vessels can be improved upon. Experts from the international maritime organisation will be part of the conference.

    “Several inland waterways operators including marine and dredging companies, ferry services operators and oil and gas firms have confirmed participation at the conference while several states with inland waterways activities are also billed to participate at the conference,” he said

     

  • NIMASA urges adherence to safety principles on waterways

    NIMASA urges adherence to safety principles on waterways

    The Director General of  the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi, has urged boat drivers and passengers to be guided by routine safety principles to check water accidents.

    Speaking while donating life vests to three jetties in Calabar and Bakassi local government areas of Cross River State, as part of the programme lined up for the 2014 maritime safety awareness campaign, he charged them to ensure they always put it on whenever they travel.

    The DG, who was represented by the District Surveyor, Warri District Office of NIMASA, Engr James Eyo, said: “There is a need for boat drivers and water passengers to stay alive from the point of embarkation to their destination through acceptable code of conduct and approved speed limit.”

  • ‘Days of pirates, kidnappers are numbered on our waterways’

    ‘Days of pirates, kidnappers are numbered on our waterways’

    How has the government been able to tackle criminality in Bayelsa State?

    We are taking security in Bayelsa to the next level. By this l mean taking security to the doorsteps of the citizenry of Bayelsa and ensuring that for every incident, there is concerted swift and robust response that will be followed through to a logical conclusion. When incident takes place and when it is fresh, you expect a great deall of response.

    But for a lot reasons, issues of logistics have had to hinder the swift movement of security agencies. We know for a fact that they are good, at least they have proved it in a lot of operations within and outside Nigeria. Their inability to respond swiftly at times is as a result of the logistics available for them to respond.

    Appreciate that in Bayelsa State, the governor on coming in accorded great importance to the Issue of security, understanding the fact that we needed to tackle the issue of insecurity in Bayelsa to be able to deliver those things that he has promised in his campaign. If you don’t deal with the issue of insecurity of course the constructions that are going on wasn’t going to be possible.

    So, he accorded importance to security based on which the special security task force was set up. Also acquisitions were made to improve on the logistic holding of the security agencies which cut across the navy, the police, the SSS, the air force, the NDLEA and the rest. So, by that the security agencies are also trying to give value to the acquisitions. They are responding using those same acquisitions. They respond swiftly. The governor dealt with the issues of their morale and welfare, improving the psyche as it were.

    All of these have also made the security agencies to respond swiftly to security incidents. For us, it is not about the criminals, it is about us because you can’t stop people from planning evil but what is important and germane here is the response capability of security agencies. That is what we are building on so that we can respond swiftly to any security incident.

    Thereafter, the criminals will have to make a personal decision not to be involved in these things. Our mandate and commitment is to ensure that we rid Bayelsa of criminals. We earnestly must empower security agencies and position them to be able to carry out their statutory responsibilities in such a way that meets the expectations of the citizenry.

    Despite successes recorded on land, the waterways are notorious for crimes. What is the government doing to make the waterways safe?

    Security package basically is designed to cover the entire state. On land we have recorded outstanding successes. But l can also tell you that in waterways and creeks we have also recorded good successes. However we have not got the level of success that we are aspiring to.

    A lot of areas are still vulnerable in the waterways. Now why have we not recorded that same level of successes in the waterways? We have not because the platforms required like the patrol crafts have not been sufficiently acquired. If we have on land well over 60 patrol vehicles representing 20 per cent of the state then the other 60 per cent will require more than that number of operational platforms.

    That is being worked out. Based on that, the governor has directed that all the marine assets in the state police command must be up and running and he has approved quite amount of money to ensure that all the patrol crafts that were almost moribund were refurbished and that job is ongoing. l can tell you. Before now, he repaired about eight of their boats so additional six are being worked on. Added to them are the 15 patrol boats that we had procured. That is what we ‘re using for operations in the waterways.

    The plan for the waterways is very robust and comprehensive and one that can bring issues of oil theft and vandalism to a standstill. So, we are working towards that. Acquisition of platforms is ongoing and to appreciate the fact that one operational platform on water is almost about 10 patrol vehicles on land. Also maintaining water operations is quite enormous. We are ensuring that things are ready for us to launch fully into the waterways. Soon, the criminality in the waterways will be brought to a standstill. I can guarantee you that.

    Operation Door Akpo is a special security outfit of the state government. How do you regulate the squad to avoid incidents of human rights breaches?

    We view the activities of Door Akpo daily. It has legal team headed by no less a personality than the Special Adviser, Legal. About five other lawyers are also in the team. Then we have an investigative team that is headed by an Assistant Superintendent of Police who is also a lawyer. On daily basis, they ensure that they go to the records and anybody who has no business of being there is pushed out.

    Before the troops go out on a daily basis, the deputy commissioner of police who was originally posted to Bayelsa State as a commander of Door Akpo before he was promoted to the DCO briefs the teams. Operations are also coordinated from the control room.

    For everything, they report to us. All of that is done to ensure that innocent people are not unduly punished for what they don’t know. Criminals have even said a lot of times that Doo Akpo responds very quick and fast but what the don’t do is manhandling people. Doo Akpo teams have been harassed by several people. I have repaired Door Akpo vehicles about two that were shattered by criminals. You can’t march operation Door Akpo to any task force that had been set up anywhere. Their response time is about two minutes.

    What is the chain of command in Door Akpo?

    Door Akpo has three levels of command. One is executive control which is exercised by His Excellency, the Governor delegated to me the Special Adviser on Security. The second level is the operational level of control handled by the Commissioner of Police and Commander Door Akpo. The last and most important level of command is the citizenry. So as it were, somebody can place a distress call or gets across to Door Akpo face to face to report and incident.

    By so doing, the citizenry is the one controlling Door Akpo. And it is a rule that they must respond to every single case. They are almost like robot. It is swift. They apprehend and drop at the nearest police station and go back to their base. The beat locations are controlled from the coordination centre. They are swift even in disciplinary aspect. When you are caught on issues of bribery and corruption and it is investigated and confirmed, the next day you are going.

    How do we discourage Bayelsa youths from engaging in criminality?

    First and foremost, they need to realise that criminality does not pay. But life is a choice. What you choose today will determine your tomorrow. It is important for them to choose the path of productivity, path of rebuilding Bayelsa rather than the destructive path they are used to. They who efforts are being made by the restoration government to ensure that they can be meaningful parties of tomorrow Bayelsa. All that we are song is for them. They should be part of this process by making themselves relevant and becoming part of the retraining process that is taking place all round the place.

  • Abia warns Aba landlords against building on waterways

    The Abia State Government has said it would not rescind its decision to demolish about 1,800 buildings that were built on waterways in Aba.

    The government urged the landlords and tenants of such buildings to start parking out.

    Addressing reporters in Umuahia, the state capital, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ugochukwu Emezue, said the government was warning the affected owners and occupants of such buildings for the last time.

    He said the government should not be blamed if it starts the demolition any time.

    Emezue said several notices had been issued to building owners through the media within and outside the state.

    He stressed that the government wants the residents to be aware of the exercise before it rolls out its demolition machines.

    The governor’s spokesman said it is not true that the government does not have the will to go ahead with the demolition.

    Emezue said: “We want to ensure that everything is put in place to avoid people hijacking it and using the period to demolish other people’s houses and causing trouble for the government.”

    He denied the allegation that the government was owing its workers.

    Emezue said it is only a local government area that is owed.

    He explained that this happened “because of its inability to submit its workers’ payment vouchers after the biometric data capture”.

    According to him, once the council complies with the biometric system, “its money is there in the bank and the workers will be paid without delay”.