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The National Inland Waterways Authority has disclosed that the boat mishap in which the popular Nollywood actor, Johnpaul Odonwodo, popularly known as “Junior Pope,” and others lost their lives was caused by ignorance, negligence, and non-adherence to due process on the waters.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive of NIWA, Bola Oyebamiji, disclosed this in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Thursday, during the ‘2024 safety sensitisation campaign on Nigerian waterways’ organised for boat operators, stakeholders, and staff.
PUNCH Online had reported that the news of Junior Pope’s death was shared on Wednesday, April 10, by filmmaker, Samuel Olatunji.
“Four actors, including Jnr Pope, fell into the Anam River on their way to a location, and their bodies have been recovered,” he had said.
Family, fans, and celebrities were in tears as the late actor was laid to rest on May 17 in his hometown of Ukehe in the Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Oyebamiji, represented by the Area Manager of NIWA, Suleiman A. Nicholas, said the passengers on the ill-fated boat did not pass through the normal process as they just went to the waterfront and jumped into the boat and moved.
He said, “The boat mishap in which Junior Pope and others lost their lives was caused by ignorance, they did not pass through the normal process, they just went to the waterfront and jumped into the boat and moved.
“They were demonstrating inside the boat and their demonstrations caught the attention of the boat operator before they realised their mistake. They hit a wooden object that capsized their boat and they sank and got drowned, and unfortunately, they were not on life jackets. It was an avoidable death and unfortunate. May their souls rest in peace.”
During the sensitisation, he, however, said NIWA had warned boat operators and passengers that ply the waterways to register their boats with the agency to avoid arrest and seizure of such boats by NIWA Police.
According to him, NIWA has issued a marching order of “No life jacket, no travel” to boat operators and passengers across the country, warning that if any boat operators or passengers are caught operating or travelling without a life jacket, they will be severely dealt with or face prosecution.
“Today we are here to intimate ourselves on the importance of safety on our waterways. It will be recalled that in the first quarter of the year 2024, we had two incidents of boat mishaps, January and April 2024, in which so many lives were lost and we regret the unfortunate incidents of the boat mishaps.
“However, we need to adhere to safety rules on our waterways at all times, which cannot be overemphasised because of its importance to the safety of lives and cargoes in water transportation.
“This is why there is an international safety standard to guide vessel operators and passengers on the requisite proactive actions to guard against dangers.
“Boat registration is one of the prerequisite conditions that must be fulfilled before putting a boat on the water. Therefore, we want to use this opportunity to call on the Chairman Maritime Union, (Wooden and Fibre Make) and the branch Chairman Boat Operators, that all passengers and boat operators within their domain should be encouraged to register their boats with the NIWA, to avoid arrest and seizure of their boats by NIWA Police and other security agencies on patrol.
“It is common knowledge that the safety of passengers and goods is of utmost importance and registration/naming of boats are critical steps in ensuring their safety. NIWA, under the leadership of its Managing Director, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, recently constituted a body of NIWA Marshall to ensure the use of life jackets and the taking of records of passengers at loading points, and also monitor and report all activities in the loading points across Anambra and Delta states.”
The organisation, however, warned residents of the 2024 impending flood, saying that a flood is a natural disaster that occurs when an area is inundated with water, often due to heavy rainfall, which can cause significant damage to both lives and properties.
The President General of the Onitsha community, Sir Chike Ekweogu, represented the Obi of Onitsha, while the Commanding Officer, Onitsha Naval Outpost, was represented by Yusuf, a high-ranking office from the Naval Outpost.
The programme was attended by boat operators and stakeholders of the states and people living in the seven communities in Anambra State and those from Delta State.
There was a demonstration on the importance of the use and dangers of non-use of life jackets inside the River Niger where the person using a life jacket was floating on the river while the person without a life jacket was sinking until rescued by NIWA officials.
