Following the tragic boat accident that killed no fewer than 106 passengers in Kwara State in June, the National Inland Waterways Authority says “there is no clear person you can hold responsible.”
The Head, Corporate Affairs, NIWA, Jibril Dar’dau, who spoke with The PUNCH on Sunday, however, said the agency had warned the emir of the community in which the tragedy happened and the president of boat operators’ association to ensure that boat operators comply with safety measures in order to forestall future tragedies.
Dar’dau said NIWA had given out life jackets to boats operators and constituted a committee, involving the emir, to ensure compliance.
Dar’dau said the emir had been told that NIWA would not tolerate lapses and that the emir would be held responsible should another boat accident lead to loss of lives in his domain.
Dar’dau was responding to an enquiry about the plan by NIWA to prosecute the operators of the boat accident that happened on June 12 along River Niger in the Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The agency had said its preliminary investigation revealed that the operators breached safety measures and that they would be prosecuted.
The Managing Director, NIWA, Dr George Moghalu, who led a team to visit the community in which the accident happened, said, “Preliminary investigations have shown that the accident was avoidable if specific protocols were followed.
“The vessel in question was very heavily overloaded. The vessel carried over 250 passengers. It was practically impossible for the vessel to operate safely without having a hitch. Apart from passengers, we had leakages in the vessel.”
According to NIWA MD, the boat ought not to carry more than “between 50 and 60 passengers.”
Asked by our respondents if NIWA had concluded investigation and filed charges against the operators, the NIWA official hinted that the agency’s focus was on preventing future occurrence as “there is no clear person you can hold responsible.”
Dar’dau said, “We have put some measures in place; because it’s a local people (that are involved) and it’s a non-registered jetty; it’s just their own local way of doing things.
“So, we have already constituted a committee, involving the emir of the village and embarked on giving life jackets. We will hold him (the emir) responsible for any of this kind of callous and reckless attitude of boat operators in that area.
“As for the operators, their association (was warned) that when next this kind of thing happens, we are going to arrest the president. We don’t pray for such to happen again but we are going to (make) arrests. We will arrest even the emir.
“This is a warning because at the end of the day, there is no clear person you can hold responsible. And it’s not a registered boat. Some (of the operators) even lost their lives. They are all mourning.”
The PUNCH reports that the boat was said to have conveyed about 250 people from the village called Gboti via Patigi after a wedding ceremony to Ebu Village and Dzakan Village, all within Patigi Local Government Area.
On leaving the shore, one part of the boat by the engine side collapsed where water penetrated the boat, which ultimately led to the boat capsizing.
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