WATERWAYS: Communities Laud NIWA, Ecological Fund Over Jetty Commissioning In Olodi Apapa

Surrounding communities within the Olodi Apapa riverine communities have commended the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and Ecological Fund Office for the prompt response in providing state of the art jetties for passengers in further  addressing movement of persons via the waterways in Lagos State.

The community stakeholders noted that last week’s handing over of jetties to NIWA would further boost water transport business within the communities thus provide job opportunities for teeming youths who are jobless.

According to them, the sudden and swift reaction by the government to provide succours for commuters was a clear indication that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is a listening government.

Speaking , a stakeholder in  Ibafon community, Olodi Apapa, Lagos Bode Olajide, affirmed that” We thought it was a joke when they started but all of a sudden we are here for the commissioning  “.

Olajide also called on the government to also provide more jetties within Boundary waterside area Ajegunle saying, the recently commissioned jetties was laudable.

On his part another stakeholder within the Tolu Complex, Comrade Fred Makinde  urged the government to also carry out more waterways  projects within the surrounded communities of Olodi, Ajegunle and Apapa, adding that the jetties commissioning would help reduce congestion of passengers awaiting boarding of boats.

 NIWA had on Thursday, taken possession of the  commissioned  jetty built opposite Tin Can Island Port as part of efforts to boost waterways transportation and protection of  ecological system within the Olodi, Apapa and Ajegunle communities .

 Representative of the Permanent Secretary of the Ecological Fund Office, Mr. Yusuf Addy who said that the risk of shoreline erosion and its negative consequences necessitated the prompt intervention by the Federal Government in effecting a holistic approach to the control and flooding that would stand the test of time and address the issue of shoreline erosion menace caused by high ocean current/tidal waves over the years.

He expresses the conviction that they will provide succour to the communities whose lives and properties were in danger.

The representative of the contractor who handled the project stated that the scope of the ecological challenges taken care of by them include, removal of floating marine litters, dredging of the ferry channels of accumulated fine sediments from the bottom beds, provision of the solid waste collector to the jetty’s terminal and others.

Earlier, Honourable Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora who said that the project was executed through the Ecological Fund Office (EFO), Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for the benefit of the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) in Lagos state.

 He noted that this project was part of the many yearnings and requests by the citizens of Lagos.

Senator Mamora a former Managing Director,NIWA, stated that about six million commuters transit from the Lagos mainland to the Lagos Island daily and that this takes an average of three hours travel time, whereas ferry transportation through the Inland Waterways will only take about 30 minutes for same journey and that this means of transportation can equally take over two million commuters from the Lagos road traffic gridlock.

 He said that NIWA takes the CMS-Mile 2 route as the busiest route of ferry services, but that high pollution rate, flooding along the channel banks as well as siltation along the ferry channel cause impediments.

“The dream is to resuscitate, upgrade existing jetties and make ferry route operational through the removal of silt and solid wastes along the ferry channels which is in line with the international best practices.

 Senator Mamora added that silt and solid waste removal makes the channels safer and that acts like open defecation is unacceptable.

He noted that as a former managing director of NIWA, he is a part of the Authority.

He also admonished the local government to cherish this project and to save it from abuse in order to ensure that it serves the people fully, over time.

The Managing Director of NIWA, Mr. George Muoghalu said that this project may have been carried out by NIWA, but that the local community is the beneficiary, he admonished the community to see the project as their project.

He said the that the federal government has shown concern by deciding to finance projects such as this and others being carried. He thanked everyone connected to the project including the youths who gave their support for the project to come to fruition.

The representative of the Lagos state governor Eng. Gabriel Adegbite stated that the Waterways transportation is a project that is dear to the governor and therefore he said that the Lagos state government wants to work with NIWA and the Federal Government as he urged that they should provide the master plan of all the projects along the Waterways so that all areas of cooperation could be fully explored.