President of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIoTA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh has reiterated the need for safer road transportation across the country.
He also commiserated with families of victims of a recent container accident in Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, Lagos.
Jamoh in a statement made available to Maritime Bits restated CIoTA commitment to safety of all modes of transportation in the country, especially those operated within the port environment.
His statement was on the heels of the recent incident where a container fell from a truck and landed on a commercial vehicle, killing the occupants, including two employees of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
The CIoTA president, who is also Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), had in a separate telephone conversation with the parents of the deceased conveyed the institute’s condolences.
He promised that the association would intensify its advisory role on transportation matters to rid the sector of unsafe practices and ensure smooth and safe movement.
His words: “I spoke with both parents (Mrs. Ajoku and Mr. Nnaekpe) of the two youthful FAAN employees whose lives were sadly terminated by the fallen container while in a bus on their way from work. As your president, I extended our collective heartfelt sympathies to them in separate phone conversations.
“While comforting them, I also assured them that CIoTA will not only be lending a voice to this matter but will play its full leadership role of advocating for transportation safety on our roads.”
Quoting from an address he presented to members of the institute, the statement which was signed by NIMASA Head of Corporate Communication, Mr. Philip Kyanet, noted that the institute had started engaging stakeholders in the industry in a bid to find a lasting solution to the issue of safety, particularly with regard to proper latching of containers onto articulated vehicles, a major challenge that has faced transportation within the port environment in recent times.
Continuing, he said: “We have reached out to key state actors with a view to getting their commitments as we strive to work towards a broad-based programme that will involve critical stakeholders on the importance of safely and properly latching containers and cargo to trucks before they leave the marine and other import-export environments for our general road networks; while also addressing the important issue of the competence and mental status of the drivers.”
He charged stakeholders in the maritime industry to be supportive of CIoTA’s drive, saying the issue of safety in the sector can no longer take the back seat.
