Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh has reiterated his commitment to safer transport system in the country.
Jamoh who is also the President of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIoTA) on Tuesday also reiterated the commitment of the association to rid the sector of unsafe practices and ensure smooth and safe movement, adding that the association will now intensify its advisory role on transportation matters in the country.
The NIMASA DG made the pronouncement on Tuesday in Lagos while reacting to a recent incident where a laden 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).
In an letter sent to members of the institute, Jamoh stated that he 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, stressing that he extended the association’s heartfelt sympathies to the parents in separate phone conversations.
He said “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.”
“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 safety 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.”
The NIMASA DG however called on all stakeholders to support CIoTA’s drive to address the challenges in the transport sector, saying the issue of safety in the sector now requires urgent attention.
