The marine transport in Nigeria is not strongly supervised or monitored by the government. Despite the influx of rural dwellers to the cities, the rural community people in the riverine depend sorely on Local transport system provided by the rural dwellers, who have interest in the sector. Water transportation does not enjoy robust patronage by the government in the country
Therefore, anybody can provide or make available any vessel as a means of conveying people from one side of the river to another. It is observationally clear that in Nigeria we wait for disaster to strike before urgent measure is taken on certain issues that can be managed.
The water transport system in the country is abandoned by the government especially the Federal government. The fact is that no one pays serious attention to what happens in marine transport.
And that is why any boat or vessel can be used to convey people. Again, water transportation in the country is not the same with what happen at the wharfs or seaports where you have ships being supervised by agencies of government. The water transport system in Nigeria has led many Nigerians to their untimely graves because of poor handling of the sector. If the extent of damage is figured out every year in the sector, it will shock the nation.
There are many states in the country where the natives can not do without water transport. And such people are left in the hands of rural water transporters to decide the fate of the rural dwellers.
There are people who take Laws of water transport into their hand without care because of government inability to monitor the sector.
From ages to this modern age wooden boats are stilt the major carriers of toads in marine transport in Nigeria. Since the government has not provided any alternative means to discourage people from using such boats. In 2009, a wooden boat conveying people and goods from Nembe Jetty in Port Harcourt to Bayelsa State caught fire in the midst of the sea. There were casualties and lost of goods. Other boats on the sea reinforced the rescue effort and saved the people. The sea route from Bonny Island to Port Harcourt is a nightmare to many boats users. It is hard to face the turbulent waves of Bonny Sea with small speedboats plying the sea. So many souls have been lost in that sea. That is why the boats operatives insist on users wearing lifejacket to curtail more loss in case of boat mishap. The Okrika route to Port Harcourt is very critical despite the short nautical distance. Also in Andoni toss of lives were recorded in water transport.
About year 2004, a police speedboat escorting Andoni Local Council money meant for salary of workers capsized and recorded the death of a police officer. In Rivers State wooden boats are predominantly used to convey heavy goods and services. The rural dwellers of Kuta, Bitte, Etesanga can not do without such means of transport.
In 2009, a ferry boat capsized in Lagos and some people were declared dead. People of Ogun waterside LGA of Ogun State, Ondo, Delta, Edo, Niger, Sokoto, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom States cannot do without water transport. It is obvious that government has not done any serious legislation about water transport in Nigeria. The water transport in Nigeria has not been given prompt attention by the government and that is why so many disasters happen. So many people have died because of boat mishap in the water ways as a result misplacement of priorities by the government.
Indeed, the one that the removed the scale from the eyes of Nigerians and House of Representatives was the mishap that happened on Monday March, 2013 where a wooden boat carrying one hundred sixty six people capsized from Oron. THE BOAT ACCORDING TO NEWS REPORT CAPSIDED ABOUT 40 NAUTICAL MILES AWAY FROM LAND. It is difficult to believe that out of 166 people on board the boat, only two persons were rescued. The episode of that boat mishap has exposed the ineptitude of the various governments in the country. The water transport in the country was left to rot away. The Nigerian House of Representatives has constituted a committee to investigate the mishap.
The question is after the investigation what is the next step of action in the water transport in the country? There is no need to delay in legislation about what happens in the sector. The users of water transport pay through the nose as there is no check. For instance a journey from Bonny to Port Harcourt is about 45 minutes and users are compelled to pay fare ranging from N1,500.00 to N2,000.00 respectively. This is because it is left in the hands of few individuals to manage.
There should be legislation to check the kind of boats that should ply the water ways for transport purposes. Indeed, it is worthy to mention that those who drive the boats are not professionals in the case of cars where one is made to obtain driving License. Drivers of boat in the water ways should be given professional training.
The sea is like the atmosphere where planes fly. Drivers of boats should be cautioned not to drive when the weather is bad no matter the urgency as it is done in air space. There is need to enact laws to check overloading which also cause boat mishap. Most of the places do not have jetties. Therefore, government should build jetties to help the operatives. The various tiers of government should engage in water transport to enhance the system. There is need for sanity and effective use of the water ways to avoid unnecessary boats mishap. ####
Frank Eneawaji Ogwuonuonu
08028901682
