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Sodiq Ojuroungbe
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu has revealed that the federal government is working assiduously with the state to implement and enforce proper regulations for all transportation activities on the waterways.
In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise, following a series of boat incidents recorded in Lagos and Anambra State last week, he said the agency recognises the importance of regulating water transportation to prevent accidents and ensure the safety of lives on Lagos waterways.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the Lagos State Waterways Authority, which is in charge of the state’s waterways, had implemented various safety-related measures to ensure that no lives are needlessly lost.
He explained that LASEMA’s control centre in Alausa is connected to a command control centre on the Lagos waterway and is meant to cater to emergencies.
He added that LASEMA monitors, builds regulations, and evaluates all processes to ensure safety on Lagos waterways.
“On our water, we have what we call a command control centre, which means that effective and efficient coordination of emergency response prevention is moved to our waterways and is connected with the command control in Alausa.
“So you can see that on Lagos waterways, we monitor, build regulations, and evaluate all processes to ensure safety. We work with the Federal Government Lnland Regulatory Agency to ensure proper regulations on our waterways,” he stated.
He, however, said LASWA, the Safety Commission, the Fire Services, and LASEMA have been carrying out a lot of sensitisation and advocacy programmes to promote water safety.
Dr Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu
Oke-Osanyintolu stated, “We are letting them know that they should have light balls in their boat, ensure the use of life jackets and not ply Lagos waterways when it is 7 pm. And they should have the basic knowledge to swim. And should there be any form of emergency on our waterways, they should call 112 or 767.”
When asked how LASEMA responds to emergencies on the waterway, Oke-Osanyintolu added, “LASEMA has what is called the Marine Rescue Unit. We have our shark base and boats. Our shark base is located in Lekki.
“And these are the people who always go in for rescue missions. We have local divers that the agency has trained. And our local divers are different from normal divers because they know the terrain. They can dive with expertise on waterways.
“Under the watch of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, we are doing everything humanly possible to ensure the safety of life and properties on our waterways. The agency is putting a lot of things in place. However, we appeal to the good people of Lagos State that they need to abide by the rules and regulations laid down. They should not also forget to call the emergency number -112 or 767, when necessary.”
Reacting to the recent boat mishap in Anambra State, the LASEMA PS, said the non-availability of life jackets and light balls contributed to the loss of lives during the accident.
He stressed the importance of adopting safety measures when using the waterways, which he highlighted to include wearing life jackets and having light balls.
PUNCH Healthwise had earlier reported that a popular Nollywood actor, Junior Pope, and four others were confirmed dead in a boat accident that occurred on April 10, along the coastline of the River Niger.
The boat, which was among two used to convey the actors to a film location in Anambra West Local Government Area of the state, was returning to its takeoff point in Asaba, Delta State when the unfortunate accident occurred.
The absence of life jackets was highlighted as a major contributing factor to the tragedy, and this sparked a nationwide conversation about safety regulations on the nation’s waterways.
In the wake of the incident, fans and colleagues of the late actors took to social media to express their grief and call for better safety standards to be adopted in the entertainment industry.
This prompted the Actors Guild of Nigeria to bar its actors from all film productions involving riverine areas and boat rides.
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