ODODO MOURNS KOGI BOAT ACCIDENT VICTIMS, SEEK ENHANCED WATERWAY SAFETY. (PHOTO).

 Ododo mourns Kogi boat accident victims, seeks enhanced waterway safety

Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, has called for inter-agency collaboration to prevent waterways accidents.

The governor in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Ismail Isah, made this known while sympathising with victims of the recent boat accident that claimed the lives of some passengers who are indigenes of Kogi State.

Ododo who expressed sadness over the accident said he was concerned that most of the victims were women, petty traders and artisans who are involved in legitimate business activities to earn a living and contribute to the economy of the state.

He expressed concern about the dangers on the waterway linking Kogi with Niger State.

“The waterway linking Kogi and Niger state was becoming increasingly dangerous as a result of frequent boat accidents,” he said.

He called on relevant authorities to ensure that safety measures are put in place to minimise risks associated with water transportation in the country.

Ododo, however, commended the National Inland Waterways Authority for its efforts in the search and rescue operation.

He called for concerted efforts through inter-agency collaboration to prevent cases of waterways accidents and to enhance emergency response management.

“Efforts should be made through inter-agency collaboration to prevent further accidents and coordinate emergency response”, he noted.

Ododo commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives and assured them that the government would support those injured in their recuperation.

The National Inland Waterways Authority had on Friday confirmed that some traders who were on their way to the Katcha weekly market in Niger State were killed while others sustained injuries when the boat conveying them from Kogi state capsised along the Dambo-Ebuchi sections of the River Niger.