101 Deaths on Nigerian Waterways: NIWA Boss, Bola Oyebanji Should Resign as Executive Director, Stop Governorship Ambition. - Ojo-Segun.

101 Deaths on Nigerian Waterways: NIWA Boss, Bola Oyebamiji, Should Resign as Executive Director and Drop Governorship Ambition - Ojo-Segun

Osogbo, August 8, 2025

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Mr. Abayomi Ojo-Segun has called on the Executive Director of the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, to resign from his position over what he described as an alleged “lack of mental capacity to make the necessary impact expected of him in the agency.”

Speaking in Osogbo on Friday, August 8, 2025, Ojo-Segun was reacting to trending news about the alarming increase in fatalities on the nation’s waterways.

According to the seasoned media practitioner, “It is both embarrassing and despicable for a governorship aspirant in Osun State to be publicly described by a group within his own agency as lacking the mental capacity to make positive impact at NIWA.

“It is unimaginable that the APC would allow an alleged incompetent director in such a sensitive agency to continue holding office while also projecting himself as a potential governor of an egalitarian state like Osun”

Ojo-Segun expressed dismay over a recent statement by a maritime policy group condemning Oyebamiji’s leadership. The group, Blue Marine Alliance, reported that 101 people have died on Nigerian waterways between January and August 2025.

The statement, signed by the Abuja Sector Director of the Blue Marine Alliance, Mr. Felix Audu urged NIWA to wake up from what it called “institutional inertia” and take immediate action.

“In 2024, the nation recorded close to 600 deaths on the waterways. Now, in barely eight months of 2025, over 100 lives have been lost. This is unacceptable. It reflects gross incompetence, leadership distraction, and a lack of capacity or a combination of both within NIWA’s top management,” the group stated.

The Alliance further criticised NIWA’s approach of merely distributing life jackets and posting marshals, insisting these measures fail to address the root causes of the crisis.

Mr. Bola Oyebamiji should focus on innovative, modern solutions for waterway transportation, in line with global best practices. Failure to do so not only endangers lives but also embarrasses President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

“If the Executive Director has no clear strategy, as his tenure so far suggests, he should undergo intensive training in waterway management or step aside for someone more competent,” the statement added.

Ojo-Segun concluded by urging the federal government to carefully scrutinise the qualifications and competence of individuals appointed to sensitive positions, especially those directly responsible for protecting human lives.

Signed:

Abayomi Ojo-Segun,

Osogbo, 

Osun State.