“I stand to be corrected, the Lagos State government is a scam. I challenge the MD of LASWA, the MD of NIWA, and everybody under LAGFERRY to challenge me.

“The last person that was brought here was brought in dead. I’m still at the jetty just going out. Madam Clara just called me now on WhatsApp. The wickedness we have in this government. I never voted for Tinubu, and I didn’t regret it.

“But Tinubu is not our problem, but the people that are being employed that are not doing the needful. I believe that at every jetty that the government owns, standby ambulances ought to be there.

“If there had been a standby ambulance at Ibeshe Jetty where today’s incident happened, maybe lives would have been saved. Yet, some people are being paid for these duties, and the money is going down the drain.

“The lady that eventually died can be me or anybody. Let us all rise up in one voice to fight this. Let Lagos State declare a state of emergency on waterways,” a pained Lagosian, simply known as Igwe, was heard saying in a voicenote.

Is Igwe’s anger against the government justified? Possibly. But he missed the mark by half. The Lagos State government is faultless if the investments of the successive governments are to be considered.

It is on record that it is the only government that has invested billions of naira into ensuring that the inland waterways within its jurisdiction are well regulated and safe for Lagosians under the Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA. However, the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, is bent on exposing the lives of Lagosians to danger.

Tonight’s boat incident is the second one within a span of one week, with the two boats departing from one of the jetties under NIWA. Investigations into these incidents revealed that they were due to NIWA’s ineptitude.

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These incidents justified the growing call for NIWA, a federal government agency, to relinquish control over the inland waterways to the 22 littoral states in Nigeria and operate a regulatory body like LASWA to independently regulate its waters.

Several compelling reasons support this advocacy for local autonomy.

Established in 2008, LASWA was mandated to regulate activities on the inland waterways within Lagos State, as stipulated in the Lagos State Waterways Law of 2008.

On the federal level, NIWA, governed by the National Inland Waterways Act of 2004, claims regulatory authority over inland waterways nationwide.

However, conflict does arise due to similarities in their functions and the lack of clear demarcation between state and federal responsibilities.

But the question many are asking is does NIWA, claiming jurisdiction over inland waterways in other states of Nigeria, have the competency to achieve its core mandates of protecting lives and properties, considering the fact that there is no week without records casualties due to negligence of duty.

Between Thursday the 4th and Friday the 5th of January, 2024 at about 7am, there was a sad report of a boat mishap at Umumu Anam, Anambra West LGA, in Anambra state.

Again on Monday, January 8, 2024, eleven people died when two wooden fishing boats they were traveling in capsized due to turbulent waves in Bonny Rivers in Rivers State. Five of the victims were infants and members of the same family.

The fishing boats were ferrying indigenes of Ngo Town, Ataba, Isiama and other communities in Andoni to Bonny Island from Ngo in Andoni Local Government Area of the state.

The Sun newspaper in November 2018 reported how two students and an aged woman were drowned in the stormy Bonny River in the state. The incident angered members of the community who claimed the accident could have been avoided as the boat took off against stormy weather and current.

In April 2017, the Daily Post reported that seven persons died in a boat accident in the Bonny waterway in the state, an accident that was attributed to the carelessness of the driver whom the newspaper said drove against the tide.

The Nation newspaper in 2014 reported how 10 people including two kids died in a boat accident while seven others including an NYSC member were missing. According to the newspaper, 18 of the 38 passengers, including four NYSC members, were rescued in a boat that was meant for 28 passengers.

Last year, the regulatory competence of NIWA was highly in doubt as dead bodies of innocent Nigerians plying the waterways littered the waters with one mishap after the other.

These Nigerians and their families were victims of poor government regulation and lack of adequate oversight functions by Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji led NIWA, which greedy boat operators took advantages of.

With the number of deaths being reported across Nigeria daily on the water, it is obvious that NIWA is not really interested in its mandates nor have the capabilities except the funds generated from levies, making state regulatory agency desirable.

While other states continue to record boat mishaps and casualties, Lagos has brought down the casualty figure to zero through the provision of relatable waterway regulation and infrastructure despite of daily increment in the number of passengers opting for water transportation. And the numerous international collaboration and accolades being heaped on LASWA are the testimonies to the fantastic job the state inland water regulatory agency is doing.

But unfortunately, NIWA is hellbent on sabotaging these safety efforts and seemed sworn to chase LASWA off the water.

The following indices below reinforce the importance of state regulatory agency over NIMA, not only in Lagos, but in other territories controlled by NIMA.

Local Expertise and Understanding: LASWA, being a state-level authority, possesses a deep understanding of the local dynamics, challenges, and peculiarities of the Lagos inland waterways. Local expertise is crucial in efficiently managing and regulating water transportation activities, ensuring the safety and well-being of users.
Rapid Response and Decision-Making: A state-level authority is more agile in responding to local issues promptly. Local agencies like LASWA can make decisions swiftly and implement measures tailored to the specific needs of Lagos, enhancing the effectiveness of waterway regulation.
Community Engagement and Collaboration: LASWA, being closely connected to the local community, can foster better collaboration and engagement with stakeholders such as boat operators, residents, and businesses. This collaboration is essential for the development and enforcement of regulations that align with the needs and aspirations of the local population.
Resource Optimisation: Local autonomy allows for the efficient allocation of resources. LASWA can channel its efforts and resources more directly toward addressing the challenges faced by Lagos inland waterways, optimising the impact of regulatory measures and infrastructure development.
Tailored Regulations for Local Challenges: Lagos faces unique challenges in its water transportation sector, including traffic congestion, safety concerns, and environmental issues. LASWA, with its localized approach, can develop regulations that specifically address these challenges, ensuring a safer and more sustainable water transportation system.
Empowerment of Local Governance: Granting LASWA autonomy empowers the local government to take charge of its waterways, aligning with the principles of decentralization. This shift allows Lagos to have greater control over its development agenda and the ability to respond effectively to the evolving needs of its water transportation sector.
Enhanced Accountability and Transparency: Local autonomy increases accountability and transparency in governance. LASWA, as a state agency, can be held more directly accountable by the local community and government, fostering a culture of openness and responsiveness.

And after the shortsighted ruling of the supreme court in January 2024, which awarded NIWA the absolute control over inland waterways, innocent Lagos residents using the water transportation are daily at risk as NIWA officials continue to attack LASWA.

Before the final judgement, it was also expected that the current Anthony General of Federal, Chief Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi SAN, should have recused himself as he was the counsel to NIWA before his appointment and his firm still represented the agency at the supreme court.

All hopes now lie in the hands of the national assembly to save the lives Nigerians and amend the NIWA Act to allow all the twenty two states in Nigeria with water transportation control and regulate territorial waters.

Advocating for LASWA to regulate Lagos inland waterways without interference from NIWA is a call for efficient, community-focused governance.

Local autonomy will empower LASWA to tailor its regulations, engage with stakeholders, and address the unique challenges faced by Lagos, ultimately leading to a more effective and responsive water transportation system.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.