Against the background of recurrent boat mishaps in his senatorial district, the most recent being at Ojo where 12 children lost their lives, Senator Solomon Adeola, representing Lagos West Senatorial District has promised to urgently donate 500 life jackets to boat operators in all the riverine areas of his district.
The senator who was reacting to unfortunate loss of innocent young lives in search of education on the waterway at Irewe, Ojo last week commiserated with the parents of the children for their irreparable losses adding that such losses are made more painful as the parents were genuinely investing in the lives and future of their offspring for the good of the society.
“While the unforeseen can sometimes occur in accidents like this, it is our duty to ensure that losses and fatalities are minimize to the barest minimum through precautionary and safety measures that are strictly enforced by regulatory authorities. But this can only take place when safety gadgets like life jackets and helmets are available for people to use and their use strictly enforced” Senator Adeola.
The senator representing the largest senatorial district in Nigeria said his donation is to complement similar efforts of the Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Waterways Authority, LAWSA in providing life jackets for boat operators to ensure safety on our water ways adding that he is sure that the Lagos State House of Assembly will look at the regulatory regime for the waterways in their ongoing investigations of the latest accident.
Senator Adeola said that Lagos State as a riverine state with serious road traffic congestion must perforce develop and utilize its marine transport system adding that what is require now is enforcement of regulatory regimes to ensure standard and safety for public transport on Lagos water ways.