The Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has commissioned 130 Executive Passenger Boats, with a charge to beneficiaries to use them for the purpose they were bought.
Dr. Uduaghan said during the commissioning that the executive passenger boats with either 85 or 115 twin horse power engines would enhance water transportation system in the riverine communities of the state.
He said that the boats were purchased and subsidized to provide safe, comfortable and fast means of movement of persons and goods across the riverine communities and appealed to the operators to ensure that they judiciously use them to ferry passengers on the waterways.
The governor explained that the commissioning of the speed boats was delayed as a result of the condition given by the National Environmental Safety Regulatory Agency on the environmental friendliness of the imported boat engines.
He assured the agency that given the state’s prominent role in environmental matters, the engines conformed to all environmental laws and will not pollute the environment.
Explaining further, he stated that the state government had to apply to President Goodluck Jonathan for permission to import the engines of the boat, which was graciously approved by him.
Governor Uduaghan said that the boats would be given to private operators and the Delta Waterways Limited for proper management in the riverine communities.
Similarly, he announced that a set of Innoson-built 50-seater buses would be commissioned next week and distributed to Road Transport Workers to help ease the transportation problem faced by commuters in the state.
He admonished the members of National Union of Road Transport Workers not to threaten the peace and security of the state, emphasizing: “The government will not hesitate to prosecute anybody who breached the peace and security in the state in the name of the union.
“Chairman, tell your members that no one is bigger than the law in this state.
“I am doing all l can to maintain the peace in this state.
“So anyone that wants to throw the state into crisis will be punished.”
The Delta State Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Ben Ibakpa, commended the state government for its contributions in the transport sector, noting that a total of 605 Toyota Hiace Buses have been acquired and distributed for Urban Mass Transit in the state.
Ibakpa stated that 10 Tata Buses, 50 Air-conditioned Marcopolo Buses and 2,500 tricycles were also commissioned early this year by the governor and distributed to the Delta Transport Company and ‘Okada’ riders in the state to improve on the transport scheme of the government.
The commissioner assured Deltans that the boats commissioned would be used strictly for the purpose it was meant for in order to serve Deltans and enable them derive maximum benefit of the state government’s kind gesture.
According to him: “I want to reiterate the need to ensure that the 130 boats being commissioned today will be strictly used for the purpose it was meant for.
“They are meant to serve Deltans and to ensure that our people derive maximum benefit from this good gesture.”
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