FG working to prevent another Kebbi boat disaster – Malami
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Saturday said the Federal Government is working to prevent a reoccurrence of the Kebbi boat mishap across the country.
Over a hundred people were reported missing on Wednesday after a boat capsized at Corner Libata in Ngaski Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
On Thursday, rescue workers had pulled about 36 bodies from the water, according to local officials.
Malami, while visiting the local government on Saturday, said the Federal Government has directed multi-faceted inter-agency collaboration while advancing safety measure approaches to bring to an end re-occurrence of boat mishap in the country.
He was visiting Kebbi on condolence purposes over the tragedy.
“On behalf of the Federal Government and indeed the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari, let me express deep and sincere sympathy of the Government of the Federation of Nigeria to the people of Warra, Ngaski Local Government and Kebbi State Government over this unfortunate incidence,” Malami said, according to a statement signed by spokesman Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu.
According to Malami, the Federal Government will certainly work with the Kebbi State Government to bring about institutional arrangements to eliminate reoccurance of such incidents.
Malami said there was the need for mutual collaboration among Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) to address the incidence.
He said it was out of the desire to address related issues the Federal Government established Hydroelectric Power Producing Area Development Communication (HYPPADEC).
Malami through his nonprofit, Khadimiyya Initiative for Justice and Development donated bags of rice to each of the affected families and two million naira for them.
