The high death rate in the early Monday morning boat mishap in the Patigi local government area of Kwara state has been attributed to the negative attitude of people of the area toward the use of life jackets whenever they travel by water.
Speaking at the inauguration of the 2023 subsidized fertilizers programme by the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) in Ilorin on Wednesday, June 14, 2023 the Managing Director of the Commission, Mallam Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, said the commission spent over N1.6 billion on the distribution of life jackets to dwellers of riverine areas last year.
The HYPPADEC boss, represented at the event by the Director of Community in the agency, Dr Mahmoud Umar, who lamented that use of life jackets was not encouraging among the people, called on the government to enact a law to make it mandatory for dwellers in riverine communities and boat operators to use life jackets whenever they travel on water.
He said that the law, when enacted and effective, would ensure that no one travels without the use of life jackets “and so that waste of lives is minimized.”
According to him “If the victims had put on the life jackets, the fatality rate would have been very minimal because a life jacket can keep a victim afloat for at least seven hours, and help would have come from villagers within that period.
“I want to call on relevant authorities to legislate a law that will make the use of life jackets compulsory for boat passengers and as well restrain the boat operators from operating at night.
“If the victims had worn life jackets and the accident occurred in broad daylight, the fatality rate would have been very minimal”, he said.
The HYPPADEC boss said that people can float on water for about seven hours with the use of life jackets in case of a mishap, adding that the commission distributed the commodity among the people last year.
He also said that the law should restrict night traveling on water, adding that more lives would have been saved if the mishap had happened during day time.
Commission Mourns Victims of Kwara Boat Mishap
The Managing Director, Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, has described as tragic, the boat accident that claimed over 100 lives on the River Niger in Patigi local government area of Kwara State.
In a statement by the Head, Press and Public Affairs of HYPPADEC, Nura Tanko Wakili, whjch described the incident as shocking and sad due to the high number of casualties recorded.
He revealed that the Commission has already dispatched a team of experts from its Kwara state office to the scene to assist in search and rescue operations, while they await a comprehensive report on the incident in order to be well guided on the next line of action to be taken to forestall a recurrence.
Yelwa who expressed sympathy to the families of the deceased, the Kwara State Government and Patigi Emirate and prayed to Almighty Allah to give them fortitude to bear the loss.
By Dare Akogun
