July 10, (THEWILL) — As part of efforts to avoid boat mishaps, the Federal Government has donated 3,500 life jackets to the Ogun State Government to ensure the safety of waterways users on inland water transportation across the state.
The Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, Hon. Adegboyega Oyetola, said that the life jacket donation was to create awareness on the safety of waterways users to navigate and transport easily on water.
He stated this while flagging off the life jackets distribution ceremony held at the Conference Hall of the State’s Ministry of Transportation at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital.
Oyetola, who was represented by the Director of Marine Services, Dr Mercy Ilori, charged boat operators and ferry associations to enforce life jackets on passengers before boarding their boats so as to save them from untimely death.
He explained that Ogun waterside, Ijebu and Yewa areas have an expansive rivers and creeks network, which has aided the business and cultural exchange of people in the areas, insisting that the waterways areas served as transit routes for the residents to transport their goods within the state and to neighbouring countries.
“Ogun State’s expansive network of rivers and creeks, especially around the Ijebu Waterside and Yewa areas, plays a vital role in the everyday lives of residents by supporting mobility, trade and cultural exchange not only within the State but also with neighbouring States and Countries. The waterways were more than just transit routes, they sustain livelihoods, commerce and inter-community ties”, the Minister said.
The State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, lauded the FG for the gesture while reaffirming the state Government’s commitment to strengthening safety protocols on its waterways to avoid boat mishap incidents.
Abiodun, who was represented by the Commissioner for Transport, Engr. Gbenga Dairo, said that such an initiative reflects the life-saving gesture of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to people of riverine areas and coastal communities in the state.
He said, “To begin with, I express my deepest appreciation to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu, whose visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to the safety and prosperity of Nigerians continue to inspire confidence across the nation.
“Today’s event is a reflection of that commitment — a life-saving gesture to thousands of our riverine and coastal communities, marked by the distribution of an initial tranche of 1,000 life jackets to Ogun State”, he noted.
The governor stated that safety on waterways was not a privilege but a right, describing the initiative as an investment in human capital development, which aligns with the pillars of the ISEYA Mantra of his administration.
He, however, assured of Ogun State’s continued collaboration with the Federal Ministry on developing marine infrastructure, enforcing safety standards and advancing the blue economy.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Ogun State House of Assembly Committee on Transportation, Hon. Igbalaye Ayodele, advised all stakeholders to make use of the life jackets rather than abandon them, emphasising that they were for their safety.
