The President-General of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Francis Bunu, has commended the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola following moves to phase out wooden boats from Nigeria’s waterways due to incessant boat accidents and loss of lives.
Bunu described the Minister’s pronouncement as timely and necessary, noting that boat mishaps involving wooden vessels have continued to claim the lives of passengers annually across the country.
The MWUN President-General in a statement on Wednesday, said the decision reflects the Minister’s commitment to safeguarding lives and restoring sanity to water transportation.
The Minister had expressed strong displeasure over the persistent disregard for safety regulations by boat operators and passengers, attributing many of the fatal accidents to negligence, carelessness and poor adherence to government safety guidelines.
Bunu recalled that safety agencies had repeatedly warned against night travel on waterways after 6:00pm, overloading of boats, and failure of passengers to wear life jackets, yet these regulations are often ignored.
He noted that many of the deaths recorded on Nigeria’s waterways could have been avoided if basic safety measures were strictly observed. He stressed that the Minister’s action was a necessary response to the recklessness of some operators and passengers who continue to flout established rules with grave consequences.
He further stated that water transportation should ordinarily be one of the safest, fastest and most enjoyable modes of transport, especially as an alternative to congested road networks. However, he lamented that the sector has been plagued by unlawful and reckless boat operators who operate rickety and unseaworthy vessels, engage in night journeys, overload boats and neglect the use of life jackets, thereby inflicting pain and loss on many families.
The MWUN leader added that the persistent violation of safety rules by boat operators has made strict government intervention inevitable. He described the planned phase-out of wooden boats as a clear lesson to boat owners, operators and passengers, noting that many of the wooden boats currently in use are dilapidated and unfit for commercial operations.
While supporting the Minister’s directive, Bunu also urged the Federal Government to adopt a comprehensive approach to addressing safety challenges on the waterways. He said the problem is not limited to wooden boats alone, as some fibre boats are also involved in dangerous practices such as excessive speeding.
He called on regulatory authorities to strengthen enforcement and ensure that erring boat drivers and owners are sanctioned appropriately, insisting that strict compliance with safety regulations is essential for achieving a safe and reliable water transportation system in Nigeria.