Kwara Boat Mishaps: Who is to blame?

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin

For the people of Kwara North, particularly, Patigi, Lafiagi, Edu and Kiama Local Government areas, water is a major means of transportation when traveling to other neighboring communities with the river connecting Kwara with River Niger and River Benue.

The news of the boat that capsized was all over the news platforms last week Tuesday. It is the second time such an incident is happening in sixteen months as a boat also capsized last year June at Egbu village in Patigi local government area. The June 2023 incident involved wedding guests while the casualties from last week’s mishap were people going for Maolud Nabbiy celebrations.

In both cases, the boats were overloaded with passengers and the passengers traveled without life jackets.

A viral video circulating on social media showing the passengers when they left shores before the boat mishap, reveals an overloaded boat.

President Bola Tinubu had expressed sadness over the boat mishap, which occurred in the state, claiming many lives. The boat accident according to reports, led to the death of 106 wedding guests, while 144 survived, according to local authorities.

Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was also shocked and saddened over the tragic boat mishap involving at least 200 people from Gwajibo Mudi community in Kiama local government area.

When AbdulRazaq visited the communities last year June, he promised that measures will be taken as they were having discussions with National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) on enforcement of safety codes.

The governor also said they will be sending a team to Lagos State to study how their waterways law works.

He similarly announced an immediate step of delivering at least 1000 life jackets to support safe travels on water in the area.

“In addition to whatever safety measures that are in place, the government will design and roll out some statewide standard operating procedures (SOPs) for water travels to cover issues of boat serviceability, speed limits, loading limits and wearing of life jackets by all passengers. This will be the new irreducible minimum,” AbdulRazaq said on the sideline of his visit to Kpada and Duro, the headquarters of Ebu and Dzakan settlements whose residents died in the incident.

The government will also send to the parliament a proposed legislation that imposes punishments and fines for violations of the safety protocol, AbdulRazaq added.

“The government will also set up a body that oversees water transportation in the state. This body will complement the regulatory oversights of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) which has the statutory responsibility to enforcement safety codes on jetties, loading points, boats, canoes, barges, life vests, among others,” he said.

For the October incident, Hon. Ahmed Saidu Baba representing (Banni/Gwaria/Adena), presented the matter at the Kwara State House of Assembly plenary session on Tuesday 8 October as a Matter Of General Public Importance On the Devastating Boat capsize Incident that occurred On Tuesday, 1st October, 2024 and Seconded by Hon. Yusuf Maryam representing Ilorin South.

Leading the debates , Hon. Ahmed Saidu Baba drew the attention of the Honourable House to the shocking news of a boat mishap on the waterways of Niger State. According to the Hon. Member, wooden boat, with 285 persons on board consisting of 283 natives of Gwajibo Mudi in Kaima Local Government Area of Kwara state left the shores of the riverine community en route the neighbouring Gwajibo community in Niger State to attend the annual Maolud Nabbiy but capsized in the middle of the River Niger at a location within the territory of Niger State shortly before arriving its destination.

Hon. Baba stated that this avoidable accident apparently happened as a result of overloading as findings revealed that the wooden boat with a capacity for 200 passengers only was loaded with 285 on the ill- fated journey.

Hon. Baba stated that at the conclusion of rescue operations, only 92 victims had been rescued alive while 191 corpses, who are all indigenes of Gwajibo Mudi in Kaima local government area of Kwara State were recovered.

Hon. Baba further expressed concern that the unfortunate incident had left many families and households in Gwajibo Mudi Community devastated while the Kaima Local Government and indeed the entire Kwarans are in a state of mourning and that boat mishaps seems to have become a regular occurrence on our waterways and this calls for serious attention.

He concluded that it is obvious that the boat carried more passengers than its capacity while the passengers also ignored the necessary safety measures such as the used of life jackets, otherwise, the incident would have been averted or the casualty reduced to the barest.

The House of Assembly urged the Ministry of Works and Transport to liaise with the National Inland Waterways Authority(NIWA) on the needs for the Agency to deploy its staff to all loading points on the Nigerian Waterways with a view to regulating operation and enforcing precautionary guidelines on water transport operations.

With the above information,who do we blame for these ugly incidents, the passengers who travelled on the overloaded boats without lifejackets or the government agencies responsible for enforcements of waterways rules and regulations?

It’s believed that these incidents will open the eyes and minds of all and sundry to do the needful when traveling on the waterways to avert future occurrence.