Orosanye Report: NIWA may be scrapped

By Bisi LAWAL

The National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, headquartered in Lokoja, Kogi State, is to be scrapped and its functions transferred to both the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.

While NPA takes over the River Ports functions of NIWA, NIMASA will take over its boat registration and other related functions of the agency.

The Steve Oronsaye’s report Committee recommends that NIWA ceases to operate in its present form as regulator and operator adding that NIWA should be subsumed in the Nigerian Ports Authority and the enabling law of NIWA be amended to reflect its subsuming in the NPA.

The report also recommended that management audit be carried out to determine the actual revenue earned by NIWA as against what it remitted to the Treasury.

The report also noted that the enabling laws of NIWA and the Ministry of Mines and Steel that have raised some contentious issues and give the two bodies similar mandates, be referred to the Attorney-General of the Federation for proper advice.