The Federal Government has expressed its resolve to make water transportation a first choice of travelling for many Nigerians, saying while it has invested heavily in the National Inland Waterways Authority NIWA, it has begun an upward review of salaries of the authority’s personnel. Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NIWA, Dr George Moghalu disclosed this at an interface with some media executives yesterday in Abuja.
He said NIWA has been evolving strategies aimed at boosting staff morale and that regular trainings are now conducted for all category of staff. While he said the Authority is tackling navigational challenges and accidents on the nation’s waterways, Moghalu added that NIWA has concluded arrangements to deploy ambulances in all its Area Offices. He said; “I will like a situation whereby when I leave office as Managing Director of NIWA, if there is anything I want to have on record, I want it to be recorded in my favour that water transportation became the transport means of choice both for cargo and personnel.
“We have built world class beautiful jetties in some places, crafts, placed order for dredgers, addressing issues of navigational challenge, accidents on our waterways. Quiet soon, we are going to deploy ambulances to the various area offices and we have improved on the morale of our staff. As we speak now, there has been a salary review and we have done quiet a lot of trainings for all cadre of staff while some are ongoing. Also, water hyacinth and floating debris are some of the major challenges on our highways and as we speak, we have done a lot of clearing. We are still doing it because it is not a one off thing”.
