The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has promised to investigate the cause of the accidents around Magazine Point in the Marina area of Lagos.
Amaechi, in a statement by his Director of Press and Public Relations, Eric Ojiekwe, made the pledge on Sunday at the conclusion of a championship organised by the Lagos Yacht Club.
The minister, while presenting the club’s Governor’s Cup to the winner, asked the management to formally write to his ministry on the accidents.
“I have always passed here, without knowing what danger the construction of the bridge poses to Nigerians, but being here today, I have learnt that there have been accidents here and there.
“I am not sure it is from the Federal Ministry of Transportation. I will have to find out and I have asked the club to do us a letter so that we can investigate what’s going on there.
“We are not in charge of bridges, we are in charge of water. Our responsibility is to ensure that all those who use water, use them safely.
“The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) argues that this place belongs to them and it truly belongs to them.
“When it comes to who collects the money for this place, the law says inland waterways, and this is inland water, this is not the sea,” Amaechi said.
The minister also congratulated the yacht club for its long history in Nigeria.
“This place is a part of Nigeria’s history that I never knew about. I learnt that this place started in 1932,“ he said.
Commodore of the Lagos Yacht club, John Shidiak thanked the minister for his concern and presented him an honorary membership card of the Lagos Yacht Club.