By Hauwa Ali
The House of Representatives has indicated interest to legislate on how to forestall mishaps, through legislation to regulate waterways safety Citing the incessant mishaps in the country .
In a statement jointly made available, on Monday, the House Committee Chairman on National Inland Waterways, NIWA, Dr. Pat Asadu and his counterpart in Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu said that their attention was drawn to a tragic boat mishap that occurred along the waterways in Anambra – Enugu States that led to the death of almost 80 persons.
The areas the House said it will particularly pay close attention to include: the safety of navigation in waterways, flag state and regulation of small vessels, development of inland waterways, especially shoreline protection and the worsening climate change, worldwide.
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They offered heartfelt condolences to the families of those affected and extended the same to the governments and people of the Anambra and Enugu States, respectively.
They noted that reports quoted the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, as ascribing the cause of the incident to the prevailing heavy flooding nationwide, causing the river banks to overflow and vessels to capsize to pay attention to the development of our inland waterways especially shoreline protection and the worsening climate change, worldwide.
“The incident brings to the fore certain contemporary issues into the public space; safety of navigation in our waterways, flag state and regulation of small vessels, needneed to pay attention to the development of our inland waterways especially shoreline protection and the worsening climate change, worldwide.
“For us as representatives of the people, and working for the relevant committees of the House of Representatives, we will immediately reactivate the use of the constitutional instrumentality of parliament to addressing all or at least some of these issues holistically and indeed specifically through oversight, legislation and requisite appropriation.
“In this light, we will bring up the issue and the matters arising to the notice of parliament-in-plenary. As we pledge our commitment towards ensuring the provision of safe navigation in our waterways, we once again offer our condolences to the affected families,” the Rep members condoled.
