FG Vs Lagos State Government Feud Over Water Transportation Gets Dirty 1

• ‘Federal’ NIWA Labels ‘Lagos’ LASWA Operations On Waterways Illegal

... Sets To Concession Jetties To Private Operators Next Year

The festering cold relationship between the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government reached a crescendo yesterday with the Federal Government-owned  National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) declaring the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LAWSA) as an illegal body.

The verdict was conveyed by the Lagos Area Manager of NIWA; Engineer Muhammed Sambo yesterday at a one day sensitisation programme to attract investors to patronise water transport in the state.

"LASWA is an illegal creation and it means that it is not recognised by the laws of this country", he declared, even as he added that: "LASWA is a creation of the Lagos State House of Assembly, which purported to repeal the NIWA Act, in order for it to be in existence."

"The question is, can a state House of Assembly repeal a federal legislation? Thus to that extent, we do not have any relationship with LASWA", he told the gathering of stakeholders in the water transportation business.

Not done yet, he added: "We are in a federation and where a law of any federal constituent is in conflict with a federal law, the state laws remain null and void".

Engineer Sambo also noted that plans are on-going to concession all federal jetties to private operators for optimal performances come 2014.

He noted that concessioning of the jetties will boost waterway transportation and also generate revenue for the federal government.

According to him, "if you have more efficient facilities, it is expected that you will generate more money because it is expected that if you have more facilities in place, apart from providing comfort for users and that is the essences of this concessioning".

According to him, "NIWA does not have any company in mind, we are providing a level playing field for all participants, especially for those who are in the water transport business, right now we don't have anybody in mind, but hopefully by 2014, we should have all our proposals which will be looked out by our PPP committee in Lokoja."

The Area Manager noted that the lingering face off between NIWA and the Lagos State government will not affect the concessioning of the jetties to private operators, adding that the facilities belong to the federal government under the custody of NIWA.

He stressed that, "NIWA wants to provide  efficient and first class facilities that are owned by the federal government, therefore I don't see any friction that can stop it"

He added that in spite of the face-off with the state government over some facilities in the state ,the concessionary will commence in 2014.

He noted that there must be a common goal by the state and federal government to provide and develop effective water transport system.

The federal agency also argued that the Lagos state government should take permit from NIWA to set up jetty on its own Lagoon.

"While we concede the right of the Governor to express his opinion as it relates to inland waterways in Lagos, we wish to draw the attention of His Excellency to the fact that where he is dissatisfied with the valid federal law establishing the national inland waterways authority, especially as it concerns the Authority's function and regulatory control over rivers, creeks, lagoon and lakes, other bodies of internal waters of Nigeria, the only alternative is the court of law and not otherwise", it stressed.

The statement further added that the Act establishing NIWA has mandated it to develop inland waters with the exclusive powers to control and regulate all activities including the state on the Nigeria inland waterways with both public and private operators.
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