A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and former House of Assembly aspirant for Warri South-West Constituency of Delta State Hon. Jude Akpodubakaye has condoled the families of APC supporters who lost their lives in a boat mishap while returning from the party’s governorship campaign in the Warri South-West local government area of the State.
He said that he was heartbroken and saddened by the unfortunate incident.
Speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Friday, Hon. Akpodubakaye, a software engineer and entrepreneur also sympathized with the APC leadership in Delta State, the Deputy President of the Senate and governorship candidate of the party in the State, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and the national chairman of the party over the sad incident.
He prayed to God to grant the bereaved families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
He called for synergy among relevant agencies at the federal and state level to come up with measures that could halt incessant and needless waste of human lives in the country’s waterways, reiterating the urgent need for the state government and relevant authorities to put in place adequate safety measures along the waterways to prevent future boat mishaps.
Hon. Akpodubakaye, however, regretted that while many may not be paying attention to the frequent boat mishaps on the country’s waterways, it has continued to occur often with heavy casualty figures.
He blamed the Delta State government for paying lip service to the issue of marine safety along the state’s waterways.
According to him, on 6th June this year, about 28 persons lost their lives when a canoe conveying them across River Benue capsized in Benue State, noting that the victims were travelling from Ijaha in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State to participate in an annual convention of their church.
He said, “Also, a boat conveying 19 passengers and two crew members from Ebute-Ero to Ikorodu in the night also capsized in Lagos State, adding that the Lagos situation seemed to be a little bit better than that of Benue where 10 persons were lucky to be rescued while others lost their lives in the mishap.
“It is indeed tragic that despite various water management authorities that have been established in this country, our waterways still remain as death traps. There is no doubt that water transportation could be one clear source of decongesting the roads.
“There is an urgent need for the enforcement of the operational standards for all ferry and canoe operators across the country’s waterways. I am so saddened to hear of these sorts of avoidable marine accidents along our waterways in Delta State.
“Hopefully, when the APC government eventually comes on board, come 2023, the new government will put in place appropriate legislation to curb these incessant marine accidents with regular inspection of these boats, just like motor vehicles are inspected and deemed road worthy or marked ‘off the road’, in order to detect dilapidated and rickety boats which constitute a serious hazard to human lives.
“Provision of emergency services along the waterways will be given due consideration because the absence of such emergency agencies also contributes to the high casualty figures recorded when boat accidents occur,” Hon. Akpodubakaye stated.
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