AMBODE HAS DONE MUCH TO PROTECT THE LIVES AND PROPERTIES OF LAGOSIANS ON OUR WATERWAYS, MD LASWA REVEALED IN AN INTERVIEW. | Shakiru Seidu.

Shakiru Seidu of MegaXpression Magazine engaged the Managing Director of Lagos State Waterways Authority, Mr Damilola Emmanuel, in an exclusive interview in his office.

MegaXpression: Good morning sir, my name is Shakiru Seidu, the Publisher of MegaXpression Magazine, the source of genuine information in Ikorodu Division. Please, can I know you sir?

MD Waterways: My name is Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, the Managing Director of Lagos State Waterways Authority.

MegaXpression: Can we know you better Sir?

MD Waterways: Well, I used to be the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Waterways Authority which is the regulator of inland Waterways, and I'm now the Managing Director of this same Authority. I'm wonderfully married to a lady called Modupe Emmanuel.

MegaXpression: Congratulations, Sir, it seems our roads are still congested  in spite of the Water means of transportation available, so, what are you doing to convince the people of Lagos State to use them as an alternatives to transportation?

MD Waterways: Thank you very much for that. It is an important observation you've noticed, the Waterways generally is a developing mode of transportation in Lagos State and it's something that this current government under His Excellency, Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode is very passionate about, we are now carrying out a lot of intervention to make sure that the Waterways is conducive for water transportation and some of these intervention is the channelization of the Waterways. I mean by creating route strictly for boat Operators on the Waterways.

Also, we are doing a lot of awareness to also inform people of how save water transportation is and also in terms of the wearing of life jackets, enlightening people on the wearing of life jackets, importance of being safe on the Waterways and also looking at the Boat that are entering, and one of the things we are also doing and that we are very serious about is inspecting the Boats on the Waterways to make sure that these Boats are fit for our Waterways because if you notice, there are lot of illegal Operators on the Waterways in terms of the Boat and Getties, we are going round now to make sure we have them under our own watch.

MegaXpression: You made mentioned of life jacket, so what measures have you put in place to safeguard the lives of the Users?

MD Waterways: Well, it not really our responsibility as an authority to provide life jackets for the Operators, but Lagos State being a very forward thinking government was able to donate over 2,500 life jackets across the five Divisions of the State and also imploring the users on the Waterways to make sure that when their life jacket expires, they change it and if we see any of them using expired life jacket, we forfeit their life jacket and make sure they get new ones.

MegaXpression: Do you get any support from the private companies or NGO?

MD Waterways: Yea, we've had in the past, Total Nigeria Plc, they supported us in 2014, but we are still reaching out to other private sectors, organization to continue to support the Waterways because the government cannot do it alone in this current economic climate.

MegaXpression: What are the likely challenges confronting you in ensuring the security of lives and properties?

MD Waterways: Well, the issue of security of lives and properties paramount on the citizen of the State, I mean that we need a lot of information, they should report things that they see to us.

MegaXpression: What major role is Lagos State Government playing to prevent cases of terrorism and kidnapping on our Waterways?

MD Waterways: Lagos State is doing a lot of job in that area, we have the Marine Police, and we also have the Navy on the Waterways, and Lagos State has being engaging these bodies to make sure their operations on the Waterways is more active. We are also mounting CCTVs across the State to also ensure that there is safety and security of lives and properties

MegaXpression: What should be the average life span of Ferries or Boats used for commercial purposes on our Waterways and how do you detect that?

MD Waterways: It's sometimes 5years, sometimes 10years, depending on what kind of Boat it is and that is not even the most important factor. The most important factor is that we as LASWA carry out a biannual inspection on Boats to determine bad and damaged parts and things that are wrong with their Boats and ask them to fix it within a limited time frame, but if they  don't, we move out to seize those Boats.

MegaXpression: What is your advice for Lagosians concerning the Waterways?

MD Waterways: Well, we want to implore Lagosians to learn how to swim, no matter your age, just make sure you know how to swim and they should look forward to sustainable development on the Waterways because it going to be a supporting mode to other modes of transportation. This agency is committed to seeing to the development of the inland Waterways, such that we will now see it being safe and clean. There is no age limit to learn how to swim, in fact, I learned how to swim last year, so anybody can still learn how to swim.

MegaXpression: What is your message for all Lagosians?

MD Waterways: Yes, my message to them is that we are opened to suggestions on how to develop the Waterways, we have an emergency number of 08090129888 and it's available 24/7.

MegaXpression: Thank you very much sir for the privilege.

MD Waterways: You are most welcome my brother. Thank.