Boat Mishap Claims One Life in Southern Ijaw LGA
…as Council Boss, Maritime Union Condemn Reckless Seafarers
A tragic boat mishap along the Onyoma–Ekowe waterway in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State has claimed the life of one person.
According to information obtained from local boat operators and the Maritime Workers Union, the victim was identified as Mr. Luke Wonamah, an indigene of Okanga community in Iyala Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Sources disclosed that the passenger boat, reportedly overloaded, departed Onyoma for Ekowe last Thursday but capsized at about 2 p.m. The deceased, a still cameraman hired to cover a burial ceremony, reportedly fell out of the vessel and drowned.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Nigerian Maritime Workers Union, Bayelsa State Chapter, Comrade Ogoniba Ipigansi, reiterated the need for river craft operators and commuters to strictly adhere to maritime safety standards to prevent avoidable tragedies.
According to him, the mishap occurred because the boat operator violated established safety protocols.
> “We have personnel stationed at every water point. The beach masters were the first responders who rescued the other passengers when the incident occurred. The boat was carrying 12 passengers, and one was initially unaccounted for. We intensified our search and eventually recovered the deceased,”
he explained.
Ipigansi added that the ill-fated vessel did not board passengers at an approved loading point and lacked life jackets on board.
The Chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Council, Hon. Target Isaiah Segibo, also condemned the incident in a statement issued through his Press Secretary, Ayebaitari Easterday. He frowned at the disregard for government directives by boat drivers who ply the waterways without implementing basic safety measures
About Author
