The CEO of Tarzan Jetties and Tarzan Maritime Enterprises, and President, Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON),
Engr. Ganiyu Shekoni-Balogun has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu, to strengthen collaboration between the Maritime Police and stakeholders in the water transportation sector to address safety and security challenges.
Speaking with newsmen, Shekoni-Balogun urged the IGP “to ensure the Maritime Police section of the force forms a synergy and interface with relevant agencies and stakeholders in the water transportation sector to build a solid platform for the purpose of addressing maritime safety and security issues effectively.”
He noted that with growing attention on water transport as an alternative to road, stakeholders must be concerned about navigational safety. The goal, he said, is to keep territorial waters “free of anything that could impede smooth navigation.”
Shekoni-Balogun advocated for adequate security for all waterways users, stressing that “90% of international trade occurs on ocean waters, transporting people and goods annually, and maritime security is therefore essential to protecting these boats, ships and cargoes to prevent losses.”
“Ensuring adequate security on our waterways is essential to protect the nation’s economy, more so that the maritime industry powers the global economic engine and disruptions to maritime traffic can be devastating and have significant consequences, including losses, delivery delays and loss of human life,” he said.
The marine engineer assured that with stronger security by agencies, “armed attacks, theft of boats and equipment would be drastically reduced if not totally eliminated.”
He advised the IGP to “give safety and security optimum consideration for maritime businesses to thrive,” adding that for the maritime environment to be conducive for business, “its territorial waters must be devoid of criminals.”
Shekoni-Balogun told the IGP that safety in water transportation “will promote economic development, ease trade, enhance social stability and sustain development among the regions that rely on it.”
He appealed to the IGP to “give necessary attention to security on the nation’s waterways by ensuring the protection of oceans, seas, rivers and coastal areas from threats, thereby keeping the maritime environment safe from danger along with the people who use the nation’s waterways.”
He also called for “regular and intensive training sessions for Maritime Police Officers, which are critical to equipping them with the skills and knowledge required for effective enforcement.”
On industry compliance, Shekoni-Balogun commended ATBOWATON members for “strict adherence to regulation on passengers’ conduct, mandatory use of life jackets by all passengers and crew, periodic safety inspection, non-overloading, regular maintenance of boats and regular widespread sensitisation campaigns for boat operators and passengers on the importance of compliance for safety and the dire consequences of violations.”
He recommended “a combination of measures including the reinforcement of security in the inland waterways, improved collaboration among stakeholders and the focus of investments in infrastructure and technology” as solutions to insecurity on the waterways.
He further appealed for “increased equipment and better coordination among agencies maintaining security on the nation’s waterways to make implementation of safety measures more effective.”
