1 month ago
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Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has called on the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to, enforce the use of life jackets by people travelling by boats in Nigeria.
Mr AbdulRazaq made the call on Thursday during a condolence visit to the Emir of Kaiama, Omar Mu’azu, over the involvement of people from his domain in the recent boat accident in Niger State.
The accident involved about 200 people from Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, with scores of them perishing.
The governor said no one travelling by boat in Kwara should be allowed to do so without a life jacket.
“Anyone who does so will have to face penalties,” he said.
“We also call on the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to, as a matter of oversight, ensure that people who board boats must use life jackets.”
During the visit, the governor announced a donation of N100 million to the victims from the area.
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Governor AbdulRazaq commiserated with the emir and the people of Kaiama, saying the incident called for more institutional checks on water travel.
He also conveyed the condolences of President Bola Tinubu to the monarch and the people, saying a delegation of the president could not fly to Kwara on Thursday because of bad weather.
“We have come to again register our condolences over the sad incident. May Allah forgive our compatriots who died in the mishap,” he told the Emir.
“The government is supporting the people affected with the sums of N100 million. We feel very sad.
The emir commended the governor for his visit and for earlier sending a delegation to the affected community, Gwajibo, led by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Yakubu Salihu.
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The emir said it is important for people to respect safety rules such as using life jackets and avoiding overloading and night journey.
He thanked the governor for the donation and his constant support for the people, including efforts to hire teachers from the grassroots.
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