The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) has clarified the operational standard on state-owned jetties, while reacting to the disagreement among ferry operators in Ikorodu on Monday morning as earlier reported by BlackBox Nigeria.
In a statement on Monday, the General Manager of LASWA, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, said membership of any association or union is not a prerequisite to operate on the Lagos inland waterways.
He stated that that all government registered or licensed boat operators were free to engage in water transportation at any state owned or approved jetties provided they meet all safety and operational requirements as set out by the Authority.
“LASWA frowned at disruption of operations at the state owned jetties by any persons, association or union especially in a scenario where unapproved levies were imposed on legally registered boat Operators.
“We thereby urge all boat operators to report any such incident of threat at jetties to LASWA as soon as possible. Members of the public are also advised to report any infractions on the Lagos waterways to the agency,” the statement added.