Stakeholders have raised concern over continuous unsafe practices in the operations of barges on the country’s waterways and what they described as the nonchalant attitude of operators and their crewmembers.
They noted that some of the operators flout regulatory rules and guidelines of barge operations, thereby exposing the barge and containers to the risk of sinking into the waters.
They also lamented the influx of illegal barge operators and illegal jetties, noting that regulatory agencies fail to enforce the laws to ensure adequate safety operations procedure (SOP) to curb the illegality, alleging that they are only money oriented.
A bargeman, Peter Opara, (not real name) told The Guardian that some barge operators carry out unsafe practices.
According to him, some barge crew members neglect safety measures, such as not wearing their full personal protective equipment (PPE), as they believe their many years of experience is enough.
Opara also pointed out that operators still practice double stacking of containers on barges, especially those moving under the bridges, thereby exposing the containers and the barge to the possibility of sinking into the waters.
He said despite warnings by the regulatory agencies, the barge operators resume the double stacking of containers months after a disaster occurred.
“There is a general warning that double stacking of containers on barges is not allowed under the bridge, be it import, export or empties. Many issues have happened under the bridge at Ijora; when it happens the regulatory agencies will re-enforce the laws, after some months, the barge operators will go back to their usual double stacking of containers passing under the bridge and many accidents have been happening,” he said.
Opara also revealed that some of the barges are not in good condition as they leak and take in water.
He said the owners neglect to fix the problem and put the barges into operation, which sometimes sink in the middle of the waterways while sailing.
The Guardian investigation found that in the first week of June, a barge sank at APM Terminal Apapa with 21 export containers.
It was gathered that the barge was taking in water. Also, the barge operator was aware of the issue but decided to manage it, which unfortunately got out of hand as the barge sank with the export containers.
“Some barges are leaking and taking in water. Some of the barge owners will tell the crew to manage it. You see pumping machines on barges while sailing to pump out the water that entered the barges. If this is not done, the barges will sink into the water with the containers,” he said.
The Chairman of the Membership Committee of the Barge Operators Association of Nigeria (BOAN), Haruna Omolajomo, lamented the influx of illegal barges on the waterways, especially in Lagos.
He said many of the barges are not registered with the appropriate authorities and are being operated illegally even in illegal jetties.
Omolajomo, who is also the General Secretary of the Association of Bonded Terminal Operators of Nigeria, said these illegal barges don’t have all the safety equipment and tools for safe sailing and are mostly involved in mishaps on the waterways.
He said there are no competent or acceptable regulators for the monitoring and enforcement of maritime laws to ensure adequate SOP for barge operations, adding that too many agencies on the ground are only interested in the monetary aspects.
Omolajomo said, while some agencies are trying to maintain safety, they are not proactive enough, noting that if no incident occurs, they are hardly seen doing their professional duties.
He urged the government to have a strong efficient and enforcement team that will act as checks on both the waterway agencies and the barge operators while ensuring the safety of the barges, the crew members as well as ensuring all the S.O.P of the waterways are fully observed.
Omolajomo also suggested that barge operators must be warned against double-stacking of containers, adding that anyone caught should be severely punished.
He further called for the registration of all barges operating on the waterways with the appropriate authorities, adding that this will enable stakeholders to identify the illegal and legal barges.
According to him, this will go a long way to boost contributions of barge operations to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as well as add to the development and operations of efficient and safe inland waterways.
“The barges and tugboats can be registered with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Barge Licence with a big sticker coded with a specific number to identify who owns or operates such a barge and tugboat. If there are any mishaps, the owner would be identified easily for necessary action and punishment,” he suggested.