WATERWAYS SAFETY: Merchant Sail Navy Seeks Deployment of it’s Personnel to Jetties

The Commander General of Merchant Sail Navy, a Reserve Marine formation established and incorporated under the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Abuja, Capt. JohnLinus Okoronkwo (MSN) has urged the State and Federal Government of Nigeria to deploy the outfit for voluntary assistance by deploying it’s personnel to jetties across the country.

In a statement made available to DAILY TREND on Friday, Capt JohnLinus said that
deploying the sail navy officials to the jetty will help to reduce accidents on sea, adding that this is one of the approved objectives of the body.

This appeal is coming three days after two female passengers of a 20-seater boat, died in a boat mishap. The boat which departed Ipakodo ferry terminal in Ikorodu Lagos early Wednesday morning capsized almost immediately after take off and subsequently submerged.

15 occupants of the capsized boat were however rescued alive.

According to Capt JohnLinus, the Merchant Sail Navy could be of help in such situations by providing assistance to the existing government agencies, including patrolling and issuing of live safety apparatus (live jackets, live vest) to the boat passengers.

“The Merchant Sail Navy shall regulate the Safety apparatus to ensure when to change the expired items”

“The Merchant Sail Navy shall take records through the manifest as a data collection including the next of kin information of the boat passengers in case of emergency”

“The Merchant Sail Navy shall provide vital information to the Nigerian Security forces relating to Security challenges on sea.
The Merchant Sail Navy needs an emergency rescue speedboat for our divers unit.

“The Merchant Sail Navy need a beat station at the waterfront (jetty) and the support of the Government in achieving this goal” the statement read.

Capt JohnLinus argued that apart from making Nigeria a safe place for the citizens, deploying the merchant sail navy to jetties will also reduce the rate of unemployment in the country.