CLO PETITIONS GOV SYLVA OVER NAVAL GUNBOAT DRIVER'S RECKLESSNESS

Following the death of over seven persons in a boat accident which occurred on 4 March, after a naval gun boat overran a ferry passenger boat carrying about 15 persons, the Civil Liberties Organization, Bayelsa State chapter, has petitioned Governor Timipre Sylva over the recklessness of the gunboat driver.

The naval gun boat identified as GB1, driven by an officer with double 200 horse power engine escorting an oil company house boat ran into a 40 horse power engine ferry boat at the Epie Creek/Yenagoa River Junction, killing over seven men and women including children.

It was gathered that those who died included two males, four females and a four-year old girl while a few however survived with serious body injuries as they were heading for Famgbe, a near community over-side Yenagoa, the state capital.

A copy of the petition which was addressed to the state governor and dated 10 March, 2008 was signed by the state chairman, Comrade Vincent Akpatamu and secretary, Comrade Alagoa Morris and made available to BAYELSANEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM

It claimed that its findings showed that the gun boat driver "drove recklessly on that day and at that point in time which resulted in the death and injury of several passengers in the Famgbe-bound ferry boat". It alleged that the intentional running over of a passenger ferry boat by the Nigerian Naval Gunboat was a criminal act that must be punished accordingly.

The CLO insisted that the Naval Authorities must take full responsibility of all burial expenses and compensate bereaved families as well as settle all medical bills of those who survived the incident and presently receiving treatment in hospital. It also maintained that the loss incurred by the boat driver of the ferry boat driver that was hit and sunk by the naval gun boat must be replaced.

It equally advocated that to forestall future occurrences of such dastardly acts, the government should mobilize the marine police and maritime transporters union to erect a sign post directing boat drivers on slow driving at bends in the river and creeks.

And urged Governor Sylva to expedite action to stop the killing of innocent Bayelsans and other citizens of Nigeria, it demanded the punishment of erring military personnel to restore the confidence of the public on law enforcement agents to avert escalation of the crisis..