From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Board Chairman of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Senator Binta Masi-Garba, on Tuesday in Lokoja promised to use resources at her disposal to to make the nation’s 10,000km –waterways navigable throughout the year.
Senator Masi-Garba made the promise on Tuesday during the Inaugural meeting of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), meeting of the board at the NIWA Headquarters in Lokoja.
Sen. Masi-Garba expressed regret that though “Nigeria is richly blessed with more than 10,000km Waterways, only 3,800km is being navigated all year round.
“As a board, it’s our mandate and that of the authority to make the entire waterways navigable all year round with a view to providing alternative mode of transportation for the evacuation of goods and passangers.”
“The board, as a neutral platform for dialogue and collaboration as well as a place to openly share ideas, experiences and discuss solutions, we will from time to time bring together stakeholders, operators and multilateral agencies and academics to discuss solutions.” She added.
“I want to assure you that as the chairman, I will do my best to discharge my duties and join hands with well meaning stakeholders to create and bequeath an organisation that is better than the one we have today”
“I will be fully committed and willing to deploy time and resources towards the attainment of the authority’s vision to establish and sustain a first class organisation managed professionally and responsibly.”
Senator Masi-Garba, however, expressed the hope of overcoming the challenges of the authority if only the support, cooperation and guidance crucial to bringing about the desired positive change was gotten.
Earlier in his welcome address, the chairman and the Managing Director of NIWA, Chief George Moghalu, said that the board was being faced with series of challenges ranging from insufficient funding and lack of infrastructures.
Moghalu was optimistic that some of the challenges of the authority would be tackled stressing that the management is willing to tap into chairman’s wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
He said that the authority is working hard to improve its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) toward addressing it’s immediate challenges.
