Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has mounted the victims of the boat mishap that claimed the lives of some passengers said to be mostly indigenes of Kogi State.
Governor Ododo in a statement on Friday expressed sadness over the boat mishap which occurred on Thursday.
In the statement signed by Ismaila Isa, his Special Adviser on media,
Ododo also sympathized with families, relations and friends of the victims.
The boat was carrying the passengers who were mostly women traders and children from Kogi State when it capsized at Dambo-Ebuchi section of the River Niger.
The governor said he was particularly concerned that most of the victims were women, petty traders and artisans engaged in legitimate business activities to earn a living and contribute to the economy of the state.
The Governor noted that the waterway linking Kogi State and Niger State was becoming increasingly dangerous going by the spate of boat accidents in the channel.
He called on relevant authorities to ensure that safety measures are put in place to minimize risks associated with water transportation in the country.
Governor Ododo commended the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) for its search and rescue operation.
He called for concerted efforts through inter-agency collaboration to prevent cases of waterways accident and to enhance emergency response management.
Ododo commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives and assured that the government will support those injured in their recuperation.
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) had on Friday confirmed that some traders who were on their way to the Katchia weekly market in Niger State were killed while others sustained injuries when the boat conveying them from Kogi State capsized along the Dambo-Ebuchi sections of the River Niger.
Meanwhile, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has confirmed the boat accident involving no fewer than 200 market women from Kogi State.
The Head of the Media Department of NIWA, Suleman Makama, confirmed the incident on Friday.
Hr said the victims were on their way to the market in Niger State on Friday morning riding on a boat when it capsized along the Dambo-Ebuchi sections of the River Niger, killing a yet-to-be-ascertained number of the women.
“It’s true that there was a boat mishap on Thursday involving quite a number of women going to the market in Niger State.
“We are still investigating to ascertain the number of people involved as well as what led to the accident,” he said.
According to eyewitnesses, the boat, which belonged to one Musa Dangana, was carrying over 200 passengers, including market women and farm labourers, en route to the Katchia weekly market in Niger State.
As of the time of this report, eight bodies were said to have been recovered, while search and rescue operations continue to locate the remaining passengers.
He stated that he is still awaiting clearance from the management before issuing an official statement, which will provide details of the incident. (vitalnewsngr.com)
