E be like say na wetin dey happen for Nigeria waterways don tire Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola! As e dey look all these tragic boat wahala wey dey kill people anyhow, Oyetola don use mouth gree say make all state governments for Naija quick ban wooden boats! E don dey clear say dem boats no sabi carry passengers like that no more, abeg.
For one press statement wey Oyetola drop, e talk say di wooden boats wey everybody dey use na big wahala. Dem dey poor construction, no safety features, and very easy to capsize. Once wave waka pass, na only God fit save person if dem enter di boats. As person dey enter water e dey hard to come out, if di boat no strong, wahala go dey form!
Oyetola don dey feel for di families wey don lose loved ones because of these boats, and e don advice everybody for waterways to dey take their safety serious. Make dem avoid night travel, wear life jackets and no allow dem carry overload again. So if you no want waka enter early grave, better collect your life jacket before you enter boat, my people.
E don also talk say make dem shift from wooden boats to fibre-reinforced and aluminium boats wey dey strong and sabi carry passengers better. No be say dem go fit afford am o, but say na life matter and e get economic sense. At least these ones fit last longer and reduce di risk of accidents as they get beta features.
Oyetola say wetin de happen no suppose dey continue, as e fit lead to more deaths wey no suppose happen. Him advise say make state governments join hand with di federal government take better action. Na so dem fit protect life, improve transport reliability and help riverine communities grow.
As e be now, many states dey suffer from these wooden boats matter, and di ministry don distribute 35,000 life jackets to riverine states for 2025 to help people dey safe. But still, di accidents dey happen again and again. Oyetola don talk say make state governments no just folding hands, but make dem invest in non-wooden boats wey go fit save lives for dia areas. Na time wey all hands go join dey for Naija waterways, no be small thing o!
Di minister kno say even if dem dey roll out some interventions, na collective action and political will go fit change di story for waterways. Water transport na big part of our blue economy, but safety no fit dey play to the gallery.
So, my people, make we all take Oyetola advice seriously and no fall for di trap of using rickety boats. No journey worth your life, abeg!
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