The Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, also known as Bonny Chamber, which is the voice of the business community, has expressed its condolences to the families affected by the recent boat mishap on the Bonny River in Rivers State.

President of the Chamber, Constance Nwokejiobi, in a statement she personally signed and made exclusively available to Kristina Reports the on January 22, 2024 in Bonny, Rivers State, described the incident as “sad”, explaining that “it has deeply impacted the community”. 

The incident, which involved a local fishing boat traveling from Ngo in Andoni LGA of Rivers State, occurred at the Bonny Anchorage close to the shell Slot and NLNG jetty.

The boat was conveying 31 passengers who were returning from the Christmas celebrations resulted to 11 casualties, including six women and five children of the boat owner.

She emphasized that the Bonny Chamber of Commerce, as the voice of the business community, was playing a pivotal role through its continuous commitment to advocating for a safe and secure business environment.

“Amidst this tragic event, we draw attention to our proactive efforts in advancing a safe and reliable passenger water transportation system along Port Harcourt and Bonny water ways via the Asimini Line, a Special Purpose Vehicle of BonnyChamber with 100% local content initiatives now in collaboration with Sealink Promotional Company – a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of NEXIM Bank.”

According to her, “these services are designed for modern crafts and incorporate robust safety measures, including relevant security agency patrols, local boat association training, and accessibility to superior vessels.” 

She added that “significant upgrades have been made at the Bonny Coal beach to enhance water transportation safety.” and stated that the project can be duplicated across the riverine communities in Rivers State.

She however noted that there have been some issues pertaining to the implementation of the project, some of which are inadequate political will and pushback.

Voicing the concern of the Bonny Chamber, Mrs. Nwokejiobi called on relevant authorities, including maritime gatekeepers, stakeholders and utilizers to align with necessary proposals and requirements for the successful implementation of this vital project.

Institutions and organizations listed by the Bonny Chamber included the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Rivers State Government, Federal and State Ministries of Transport, Multinational Corporations within Bonny Island such as Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), BelemaOil, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU), Daewoo Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited (DECN), Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited, and Evomec Global Services Limited (EGSL), as well as the Bonny Local Government, Bonny Chiefs Council, the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Marine Transportation, the Marine component of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Nigerian Navy (NN), and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

Nwokejiobi explained that the unfortunate incident of the boat mishap has emphasized the necessity of an improved means of water transportation to ensure the safety of those who travel via the waterways and to avoid a repeat of this kind of occurrence.

She assured the affected families of the Chamber’s commitment to ensuring that the residents and indigenes of Bonny have a safe and secure business environment as this is necessary for the growth and development of the entire Bonny Island Community.