Hon. Jude Akpodubakaye, a former House of Assembly aspirant for Delta State’s Warri South-West Constituency, has condoled with the families of APC supporters who died in a boat disaster while returning from the party’s governorship campaign in the State’s Warri South-West local government area.
He expressed his regret and sadness at the awful incident.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday, Hon. Akpodubakaye, a software engineer and entrepreneur, expressed sympathy with the APC leadership in Delta State, the Deputy President of the Senate and the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and the party’s national chairman over the incident.
He prayed to God for the strength to face the irreparable loss of the grieving families.
He urged federal and state agencies to work together to develop measures that would put an end to the incessant and unnecessary waste of human lives in the country’s waterways, reiterating the urgent need for the state government and relevant authorities to put adequate safety measures in place along the waterways to prevent future boat mishaps.
Hon. Akpodubakaye, on the other hand, expressed sorrow that, while many people may not be paying attention to the regular boat disasters on the country’s waterways, they continue to occur frequently with high casualty rates.
He accused the Delta State government of paying lip service to marine safety around the state’s waterways.
According to him, on June 6, this year, approximately 28 people were killed when a canoe transporting them across the Benue River capsized in Benue State, noting that the victims were traveling from Ijaha in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State to participate in their church’s annual convention.
“Also, a boat transporting 19 passengers and two crew members from Ebute-Ero to Ikorodu in the night collapsed in Lagos State,” he added, adding that the Lagos situation appeared to be slightly better than that of Benue, where 10 people were lucky to be saved while others died in the tragedy.
“It is certainly terrible that despite many water management authorities that have been established in this country, our rivers still continue as death traps. There is little doubt that water transportation may be a significant source of road decongestion.
“There is an urgent need for the enforcement of the operational requirements for all ferry and canoe operators across the country’s waterways. I am heartbroken to learn about these avoidable marine accidents around Delta State’s waterways.
“Hopefully, when the APC government eventually comes on board, come 2023, the new government will put in place appropriate legislation to curb these incessant marine accidents with regular inspection of these boats, just like motor vehicles are inspected and deemed road worthy or marked ‘off the road’, in order to detect dilapidated and rickety boats which constitute a serious hazard to human lives.
“Provision of emergency services along the waterways will be given significant consideration because the absence of such emergency agencies also adds to the high casualty figures recorded when boat accidents occur,” said Hon. Akpodubakaye.
