The Senate has asked the Federal Ministry of Power, Works, and Housing to urgently construct the Lafiagi road that links Kwara and Niger states following the recent boat mishap in the area.
It also mandated the National Inland Waterways Agency (NIWA) to enforce the use of life jackets by passengers travelling across rivers and oceans in Nigeria.
These resolutions were sequel to a deliberation on a motion on the December 1 boat mishap in Kwara State. The bill was sponsored by Senator Mohammed Sha’aba Lafiagi (PDP, Kwara North).
Over 20 people including mothers and their children reportedly drowned in the boat accident in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara.
The boat capsized while crossing the River Niger as the victims were reportedly on their way to a traditional wedding ceremony in neighbouring Niger State.
Leading the motion, Lafiagi stated that the use of canoes and boats is the only available means of transportation for the border towns of Lafiagi in Kwara and their neighbours in Niger.
This, he said, is as a result of the abandonment of the 46km road project that should link Kwara and Niger states and mitigate the incessant occurrence of boat mishaps in the riverine community.
“Such ugly incident occurs intermittently as a result of lack of access road in the riverine community. If the only road that links Lafiagi to its neighbours in Niger State had been constructed by the government, such incidents would have been eliminated or reduced considerably.
“If the 46km road is constructed or a bridge is built across the River Niger, businesses and trade activities will be enhanced with the reduction of the attendant risk to the lives of our people,” the lawmaker who was a former governor of Kwara said.
He warned that unless something is done to arrest the situation, the people of Kwara and Niger states would continue to sit on a time bomb.
In his contribution, Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North) stated that the necessary authorities are not doing their jobs well. He frowned at the fact that passengers are ferried across rivers without life jackets.
Atai Aidoko (PDP, Kogi East) called on NIWA to educate the operators of local canoes as well as reduce the price of life jackets and make its use mandatory for every passenger.
On his part, Gbenga Ashafa (APC, Lagos East) said that roads around riverine areas should be constructed.
He also demanded that funds for the construction of the access road in the community be included in the 2019 budget.
Sam Egwu (APC, Ebonyi North), however, blamed state governors for doing nothing about the access roads and water transportation in the states.
He described the use of canoes in this century as unfortunate.
Supporting Egwu, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu (PDP, Enugu West), said nothing stops a state that cares from fixing the roads and demand reimbursement from the federal government.
“We always have this distinction between federal and state roads, which is bad. While we ask the federal government to fix roads, states concerned should try to fix their roads.
“Another issue is that we have this attitude of focusing on developing just the capitals of the states. It is necessary that those who live outside these cities, should be shown concern too,” he said.
