Wrecks Removal: NIWA Gives 2-Week Ultimatum On PH Waterways

The National Inland Wa
terways Authority (NIWA), Port Harcourt Area office, has issued to two-week ultimatum a owners of identified wrecks within its jurisdiction to remove them or face the wrath of the authority.
The Area Manager of NIWA, Port Harcourt Area  Office, Alhaji Abdullahi Dabai, gave the order in a statement made available to The Tide correspondent in Port Harcourt Tuesday
Dabai said the notification became necessary inorder to enable the authority carry out an operation on wreck removal within its inland waterways for safe navigation as well as protect the environment and the ecosystem.
The statement said any one or company that violates this order after the expiration date, the authority would go ahead and remove at the owners cost.
It also stated that after removing the identified wrecks, any one or company that wants to come for claim of ownership would be made to show proof of ownership and pay the cost of removing such wreck.
Some of the identified wrecks were at Naval ship builders at Isaka / NPA Port Harcourt creek, Rumuolumeni / Iwofe creek by Belfaco Jetty, Abuloma Jetty, among others.
NIWA is a specialized federal government agency vested with an exclusive power of management, direction and regulation of all activities within the Inland waterways system in Nigeria and it came into full operation through an Act of the National Assembly, CAP N47 LFN 2004 with a vision.