The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), has inaugurated a task force to enforce safety standards across the nation’s  waterways.
NIWA has also procured 20 patrol boats to ensure safety of lives and property in the waters.
Managing Director, NIWA, Chief George Moghalu disclosed this at an event held in Lagos, recently. 
Moghalu decried overloading of passenger boats by drivers, warning  defaulters would henceforth be sanctioned.
He attributed  high rate of  boat mishaps in the nation’s waterways to overloading and over speeding by operators.
“Today is a very important day in the history of NIWA. This inauguration is what we have to do and do immediately, this is because it is meant to ensure security and sanity in our waterways.
“We have procured about 20 patrol boats. We are laying more emphasis on security at this point in time, and as a matter of fact, we don’t want to be losing either boat operators themselves or passengers.
“We have also procured two ambulances while seven others are on the way. 
“We have placed an embargo on boat ferrying after six o’clock in the evening because many accidents we recorded took place in the night while some of them were victims of overloading. And some of them do not have navigational facilities.
“We want to boldly say at this juncture that the task force has our full support. We are ready to listen to your requests,” Moghalu said.
Earlier, General Manager, Marine, NIWA, Engr. Joseph Ororo, said the agency has repaired its wreck removal equipment.
He said the equipments would be deployed on the inland waterways soon.