Pategi Boat Accident: Fajemirokun Condoles Kwara Govt, People

BY FUNMI ALUKO

The National President, Comrade Babatope Fajemirokun aka SIMTOP and entire members of the Waterfront Boat Owners and Transporters Association of Nigeria Waters (WABOTAN), have extended its sympathies to the government and people of Kwara State over the fatal boat accident that claimed over a hundred lives last week.

In a condolence letter signed by the National PRO WABOTAN,  Chief Raymond Gold Onoriobe, the organization said it share in the pains of the families of the victims, even as it pledged to extend its training on safety to relevant stakeholders in the state, to improve on water transportation safety.

The letter reads, “The National President, Comrade Babatope Fajemirokun aka SIMTOP and entire members of the Waterfront Boat Owners and Transporters Association of Nigeria Waters (WABOTAN) are deeply saddened by the reports of a boat mishap, which occurred at the Pategi Local Government Area of Kwara State, in which over 100 people lost their lives.

“Our hearts go out to the affected families, the government and good people of Kwara State over this painful incident.  As stakeholders in the water transport sector in Nigeria, we have been committed to playing our role in the needed efforts to transform the water transport sector and the strict adherence to safety and security measures to forestall such mishaps.

“This has formed part of our core objectives which is, training and retraining of boat captains and deck hands, to build capacity and ensure safety and security on our waterways. This training, which we usually do in collaboration and partnership with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government, has contributed to Lagos State recording immense improvement on safety on her waterways.

“Our next capacity building and safety training program comes up this November in Lagos and we are making efforts to extend this training to Kwara State and other States across the country where water transportation has been embraced as a means of moving people and goods from one place to another.

“Once again, our heart felt condolences to the affected families.”