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Boat Mishaps: LASG Cautions Boat Operators Against Alcoholism
The Lagos State Government has urged boat operators on its waterways to avoid drinking alcohol while on duty to stem the rising occurrence of boat mishaps.
The state Commissioner of Transportation, Mr Ladi Lawanson, gave the advice during the third Annual Stakeholders Forum, held in collaboration with the Badagry Chambers of Commerce in Badagry on Sunday.
Our correspondent reports that the Theme of the forum was: “Stakeholders Engagement on Operational Guidelines for Boat Operators”.
Lawanson, who was represented by a consultant on Marine Affairs, Mr Gbenga Omotoso noted that not all the boat mishap “are attributable to engine failure’’.
He added that excessive drinking of alcohol also caused accidents on water.
“Avoid taking alcohol on the water; if you are intoxicated, you may endangered the lives of passengers as well as yourself.
“The Lagos State Government has put various policies in place to ensure the safety of lives on the sea,’’ Lawanson said.
In his opening remarks, the Managing Director, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel said that despite the ravaging effects of the pandemic, the use of water transport in Lagos State has witnessed a tremendous transformation.
Emmanuel said that there was increased in ridership figures on the waterways in the state.
The LASWA boss said that with over two million riders monthly, the state waterways was able to withstand significant pressure shifted from the road traffic.
He noted that “yet the potentials were endless’’.
LASWA boss said the safety of all waterways users in the state was one of cardinal objective of the authority.
He added that LASWA management would not shy away from its primary responsibility.
Emmanuel said that engaging stakeholders in the water transport sector were to deliberate on issues bothering on safety guidelines and improvement on water transport operations, especially on the ÌjÍ-Badagry axis.
He said that LASWA management was “saddened and worried by the unfortunate incidents of boat mishaps recorded on this axis in recent past’’.
“We pray to the Almighty to grant the families of departed souls the fortitude to bear the loss.
“To forestall reoccurrence of such regrettable incidences, today we are issuing out new operational guidelines for ferry operations in the state while restricting the usage of jetties across the entire Badagry axis.
“LASWA has also donated 500 life jackets of different sizes that will be distributed to all boat users and participants here at the forum.
“We have also commenced a massive safety awareness campaign across all jetties and terminals in order to educate and sensitize ferry passengers and boat operators on safety procedures,’’ Emmanuel said.
Adding a royal voice at the forum, Oba Akran of Badagry, Aholu-Menu Toyi 1, urged the government to intensify efforts on enlightenment programme for boat operators to enhance safety on water transportation in Badagry.
Toyi, who was represented by Baale of Topo, Chief Michael Avose, commended the efforts of the Badagry Chamber of Commerce for facilitating the enlightenment programme.
The royal father also advised boat operators to avoid taking alcohol when on boat.
In his remark, the Secretary, Lagos State Private Boat Operators, Mr Owolabi Omotayo, commended the LASWA for organising prompt rescue operations during the last boat mishap in Badagry.
Omotayo said that the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUA) had been working with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to ensure that boat operators are trained and certified.
Also, Lt. Commodore Dan Nehemiah, Base Operator Officer Badagry, pleaded with LASWA management to regulate indiscriminate erection of jetty in the area.
Nehemiah also alleged that boat operators usually engage in late-night operations and they had relaxed on the COVID-19 guidelines.
The President, Badagry Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA) Fatai Shokunbi, appealed to LASWA to ensure that Badagry is not left behind on development drive in the state.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.