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By Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State government has announced plans to enhance maritime safety across its inland waterways.
Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo shared this during a meeting with the Chairman and members of the state’s Maritime Safety Taskforce Steering Committee at Government House, Yenagoa. In a statement issued at the weekend by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, he expressed concern over frequent boat mishaps causing fatalities.
Ewhrudjakpo stressed that the taskforce was established to enforce maritime laws fully. He urged boat operators to follow safety regulations to prevent accidents, warning that violators would face arrest, prosecution, and punishment to deter others.
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“So, we want to reduce the appetite of those who don’t want to obey safety rules,” he said. “They either obey the rules or face the wrath of the law. We are taking these measures to ensure that our people are safe when they travel.”
He directed the taskforce to collaborate with security agencies to uphold these laws. Ewhrudjakpo noted that Bayelsa pioneered the creation of a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy among littoral states, following the federal government’s lead, to harness marine resources.
“As a government, we are worried about the incessant boat mishaps on our waterways,” he added. “Bayelsa is the leading light among the littoral states because it is the first to create a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy after the federal government. And so, we are now taking some measures to make our waterways safer.”
Attendees included Commissioner for Marine and Blue Economy Dr Faith Zibs-Godwin, Deputy Chief of Staff Comrade Gowon Toruyouyei, Permanent Secretary Elder Olali Jonjon, and Maritime Workers Union State Chairman Comrade Ogoniba Ipigansi, alongside taskforce members like Captain J. Ayim-Odu (Nigerian Navy) and CSP Arusu Ufuomanefe (Marine Police).
