Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora cutting the tape at the commissioning as the NIWA MD and others watch on.
Story by Dili Utomi.
The Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) this morning commissioned the siltation, flooding and pollution control including the jetty built at the Tin Can side of the Olodi-Tin Can island water channel.
The welcome address was performed by the representative of the permanent secretary of the Ecological Fund Office, Mr. Yusuf Addy who said that the risk of shoreline erosion and its negative consequences necessitated the prompt intervention by the Federal Government in effecting a holistic approach to the control and flooding that would stand the test of time and address the issue of shoreline erosion menace caused by high ocean current/tidal waves over the years. He expresses the conviction that they will provide succour to the communities whose lives and properties were in danger.
Handing over of the jetty to the NIWA MD for further hand over to the community.
The representative of the contractor who handled the project stated that the scope of the ecological challenges taken care of by them include, removal of floating marine litters, dredging of the ferry channels of accumulated fine sediments from the bottom beds, provision of the solid waste collector to the jetty’s terminal and others.
Senator Mamora making his presentation.[
A keynote address was presented by the Honourable minister of state for health, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora who said that the project was executed through the Ecological Fund Office (EFO), Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for the benefit of the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) in Lagos state. He noted that this project was part of the many yearnings and requests by the citizens of Lagos.
Senator Mamora stated that about six million commuters transit from the Lagos mainland to the Lagos Island daily and that this takes an average of three hours travel time, whereas ferry transportation through the Inland Waterways will only take about 30 minutes for same journey and that this means of transportation can equally take over two million commuters from the Lagos road traffic gridlock. He said that NIWA takes the CMS-Mile 2 route as the busiest route of ferry services, but that high pollution rate, flooding along the channel banks as well as siltation along the ferry channel cause impediments, hence this project.
NIWA MD, George Muoghalu making his speech.
The dream is to resuscitate, upgrade existing jetties and make ferry route operational through the removal of silt and solid wastes along the ferry channels which is in line with the international best practices. Senator Mamora added that silt and solid waste removal makes the channels safer and that acts like open defication is unacceptable. He noted that as a former managing director of NIWA, he is a part of the Authority. He also admonished the local government to cherish this project and to save it from abuse in order to ensure that it serves the people fully, over time.
A cross section of local Chiefs and their aides at the event.
The managing director of NIWA, Mr. George Muoghalu said that this project may have been carried out by NIWA, but that the local community is the beneficiary, he admonished the community to see the project as their project. He said the that the federal government has shown concern by deciding to finance projects such as this and others being carried. He thanked everyone connected to the project including the youths who gave their support for the project to come to fruition.
At the high table, Muoghalu, Mamora and others.
The representative of the Lagos state governor Eng. Gabriel Adegbite stated that the Waterways transportation is a project that is dear to the governor and therefore he said that the Lagos state government wants to work with NIWA and the Federal Government as he urged that they should provide the master plan of all the projects along the Waterways so that all areas of cooperation could be fully explored.
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