PRESS RELEASE
BONNY LG CHAIRMAN VISITS BEREAVED FAMILIES, CONDOLES SURVIVORS
…Suspends Boat Union Leaderships
Sets Up Interim Management Committee
Supervise Disposal of Worn-Out Life Vests
Retrieves Hoarded Life Vests For Passengers Use
The Executive Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Dame Hon Anengi Barasua Claude-Wilcox, DSSRS, JP., has condoled with families of fatality victims and survivors of the boat mishap that occured yesterday along the Bonny waterways, describing the incident as most unfortunate and avoidable.
The Council Boss who spoke today in Bonny during a sympathy visit to the families of the deceased and other survivors of the incident, noted that reports on her desk indicates that the boat pilot who was testified to be drunk attempted to overtake another boat on the high-sea but was caught-up by the currents of the double wave which unfortunately overturned the 11-passenger boat leading to the ill-fated incident.
She consoled the survivors, promising that Government would cater for all medical bills and stand through with them, while assuring families of fatality victims that they would not be left alone in this trying season, declaring that all ends would be tightened to avert recurrence.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman paid an unscheduled visit to the Bonny Coal Beach where she examined the state of affairs and ordered that:
- Operations of all 11-passengers boats on Bonny waterways stood suspended with immediate effect.
- All leaderships of Boat Unions including the Bonny Marine Transport Association (BMTA) were suspended with immediate effect.
- An Interim Management Committee to be set up by the Government would oversee the boat operations untill the identified pitfalls are fixed.
- The Interim Management Committee are to ensure the mental sanity of boat drivers and functionality of their engines before clearance for take-off.
- All worn-out life-vests be disposed immediately and replaced with the heaps of donated life-vests, especially the 2023 set from the NLNG that were seen to be hoarded, many of which were retrieved from the residence of an indigenous Boat Union Official.
In the wake of the foregoing, the Executive Chairman urges residents and visitors of Bonny to go about their routine travel engagements as the Local Government Authority would leave no stone unturned in sustaining the security and safety of the Bonny waterways at all times.
Boma Waribor, anipr.
Press Secretary
Bonny Local Government
Tuesday, April 9, 2024.
