Still On Bayelsa Marine Transport System

Marine transportation is simply the movement
of goods and services through or by water. This form of transporting goods and services is very crucial to the people of the marine area in general and Bayelsa State in particular, due to the coastal terrain the people find themselves.
Marine transportation is no doubt more expensive than land transportation due to several reasons, time would not allow me to discuss. However, one obvious reason is the high level of fuel consumption of marine vessels as well as high risk involved, this is due to the extensive increase in the cost of services provision as well as increase in the cost of producing goods.
The high cost of service provision and heightened cost of producing goods would combine with other factors to discourage investors as well as entrepreneur from investing in such area and by extension this would increase the unemployment burden on the nation.
Secondly, due to the high risk involved in travelling along the coastal lines, certain important government establishments end up being sited in area that would not have ordinarily gained the attention of government just to avoid the high risk of travelling along the rivers.
The above is what people call the misplacement of value and thus in most cases cost the Nigerian State a lot of money. It is just like putting square pegs in round holes.
Sea piracy is very rife in Bayelsa State and this has to a large extent, discouraged investors and economic activities in these areas. This by extension reduces the gross domestic earning of Nigeria as a nation and as well reduce employment. This is a set back as far as the the agenda of national development are concerned.
Bayelsa State is naturally endowed with numerous gifts of nature, these gifts include mineral resources as well as the sea foods and farm produce. The fact is that, these riverine or coastal cities are not motorable, marine transportation became handy as it helps to facilitate the distribution of these farm produce and mineral resources from where they are abundant to where they are scarce. And this is to a large extent, reminds Nigerians that we need each other to fosters national integration and development.
Furthermore, marine transportation no doubt has created job for so many people as a good number of coastal dwellers are engaged in this mode of transportation. Creation of jobs is very important aspect of national development as this helps to boost the country’s national income calculation.
Marine transportation could be said to be very expensive, but it is by far cheaper than road or land transportation when transporting goods in bulk. This advantage of marine transportation encourage bulk buying to reduce cost and by extension, encourages the availability of goods in large quantities and as well boost economic activity.
Considering these positive effects of marine transportation to people and nation, the government should strive as much as possible to create the enabling environment to ensure cooperation and sustainable development nationally as a threat to peace in any part of the nation is a threat to peace to the whole nation and to the world at large.
For any meaningful development to take place, there has to be peace. I would like to include Ojeikunle  J.A, in ‘Transportation and Regional Development: some theontical issue’argued that the nature of the relationship between transport and development might be said to fall into three categories, first, there is the traditional and generally accepted view that the provision of transport facilities is a precondition of economic development and result in a positive stimulus. Secondly, there is the view that transport post dates, economic growth or in other word as a result rather than a cause of economic development.
The third argument is the natural view that transport development is concomitant with economic growth that is neither a pre-requisite for nor result of economic growth and development.
In conclusion, the Bayelsa State Government should make frantic effort for the provision of flying boats to boost marine transport system in the state because of the geographical terrain of the area.
The government should also create an enabling environment to check its operation to safeguard the interest of the least man in the society.
This could be either by providing fuel depot at various point at affordable prices, or should seriously embark on road constructions, despite the high cost of financial involvement on the state. This I think, would encourage development in our state.
Iyamokuma, writes from Bayelsa State

Chris Iyamokuma