By Mohammed Baba Busu
National Hydro Electric Power Producing Areas Commission (N-HYPPADEC), has sympathized with Gbajibo community in Mokwa local government of Niger state over boat Mishap that claimed 42 lives.
The Managing Director of the Commission, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa led team of the commission to the Gbajibo community in Mokwa local government of Niger state on Friday.
Yelwa, represented by the Commission’s Director Operations, Engr. Iliyasu Abdullahi Wara, expressed sadness over the unfortunate accident while expressing government support to the families of the victims.
He said that the visit was to condole and ascertain the root causes of the accident as the death toll raises to 42 persons recovered.
He said that search for the bodies of the victims is continue by the volunteers.
Yelwa explained that the commission is working assiduously to end this kind of avoidable boat mishap.
“With lots of casualties in collaboration with regulatory agency National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and States government to curtail the menace because N-HYPPADEC only gives intervention,” he said.
The MD maintained that the recent accident was due to overloading and water waves leading to boat break
He insisted that lack of life jackets usage by the passengers provided to them by the commission after last year boat mishap in the same community where 31 people lost their lives.
He reiterated the commitment of the commission in providing solutions to end forthwith by partnering benefiting states government to enact laws with stringent measures put in place to criminalized boat drivers.
“Who make night journey, overload boats, non use of life jackets while traveling on the waterways to change the narrative of providing life jackets,” he added
On his part, Commissioner for Transportation, Niger State, Hadiza Ladidi Idris Kuta expressed sympathy with the families of the victims and the two states government of Niger and Kwara state.
She said that Gov. Mohammed Umar Bago was shocked and saddened over the incident.
The commissioner advocated for the prosecution of boat drivers, who causes mishap leading to deaths to life imprisonment.
She applauded the N-HYPPADEC for its various interventions and the proactiveness of the rescue team operations in saving lives.
” And searching of the bodies of the victims since the incident occurred which is still ongoing,” she said.
The commissioner pledged that Niger state government will provide rescue boat, water ambulance, commutation gadgets and establishment of water marshalls to help in forestalling future reoccurrence of such incident in the state.
She pleaded with the community to adhere strictly to laid down laws and regulations of boat to ensure safety of lives and properties.
Speaking on behalf of the community and member of the rescue operation, Mr Mohammed Tauheed confirmed that the boat mishap was caused by heavy winds that led to break of the boat from the engine location.
He disclosed that 40 corpses recovered as at Thursday, Sept. 27.
“That is 16 on Wednesday and on Friday 5 as search continued,” he said.
He added that the boat was actually overloaded with passengers from both communities of Gbajibo Woro from Kwara took off from Mudi around 6pm to New Gbajibo in Niger state.
Tauheed further revealed that over 200 passengers were in the boat, Adding that about 130 was rescued alive while some survived on their own by swimming out of the river.
Tauheed applauded the Kwara state government for promptly provided about 7 flying boats they are using for searching and removing bodies.
He appealed for governments intervention in various ways to complement the efforts of the N-HYPPADEC.
It would be reported that a Special Custodial Jebba Division, Dantala Mohammed, who was found at the bank of the river was taking records of the recovery bodies.
He decried over disobedience to rules and regulations guiding the operation of the waterways like overloading, night travels and non use of life jackets by passengers.
He, however, confirmed the searched of 42 corpses consisting of two females and 40 males including one small boy all buried.
“Opposite where last year 31 victims were buried as searching still ongoing,” he said.
