The Rivers State
Government has been called upon to make good its promise of providing Marine transportation for riverian communities in the state to cussion their transportation challenges.
A cross section of riverine communities dwellers made the call in a chat with The Tide correspondent in Port Harcourt recently.
The dwellers said the provision of government marine boats to ply the riverine communities would give the people a sense of belonging as well as reduce the transport cost to their various communities.
According to them, with government subsidized transport fare, people living at the riverine communities will feel the inpact  of dividends of democracy with safety and security of the passengers as the operators will adhere strictly to the marine laws.
The residents of riverine communities said they pay high cost of transportation fares to their communities, and expressed optimism that with government-owned marine transport boats, the cost of travelling to their riverine communities would be reduced, and the most  challenging issue of safety and security would be improved.
They lamented that of recent, safety and security of passengers have been an issue, stressing that with government provision of transportation boats, security on the waterways would be improved while passengers on board the boats on the routes would feel the impact of the government with strict adherence to marine laws.
Professor Opusunju Allwel, said the provision of such marine transportation boats by the government would definitely give the people at the riverine communities a sense of belonging as supporters of the ruling People’s Democratic Party PDP in the state.
Osaki Soberekon also noted that provision of marine transportation to the riverine communities would be a welcomed development because of the suffering of the people, adding that they deserved such facilities to cussion their transport difficulties .
In his words, Adokiye Odum opined that the government should see the provision of riverine marine transportation as a step in the right direction to avoid marginalization stressing that it would give the people a high of relief as tax payers and people that also deserve social amenities from the state government.
Also, Madam Isoboye Amachree said government should without delay provide the boats as it was in the  years back when RIVLINW  was plying the riverine communities

Collins Barasimeye