Commuters along sea routes in Rivers State have been offered a ray of hope as the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has launched a ‘Passengers Liability Assurance Scheme.’
The scheme, an Initiative of the union’s national executive, led by its President General, Francis Bunu Abbey, is to ensure that the risks of traveling by the sea routes are minimized.
In an address at the flag-off of the scheme on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at the Bonny/Bille/Nembe Waterfront in Port Harcourt, chairman of the Port Harcourt Commercial District of the union, Comrade Israel Waribo Pepple said the scheme was designed to “accommodate scenes of losses to passengers in case of accidents and the unforeseen along the waterways.”
He added that “this is to assure passengers that their safety and comfort is greatly important to the union (drivers) and thus help to build confidence in them to continue to use our services.”
Comrade Pepple acknowledged the continued threats of sea-piracy, kidnapping and outright armed attacks on the seaways, but assured that, from very recent experiences, security agencies concerned had been working hard to flush away sea pirates and hoodlums so as to ensure that use of the waterways for both travels and livelihood is safe.
The MWUN boss commended the Marine Police, Nigeria Navy, Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and Joint Military Task Forces (JTF) for their combined efforts to ensure safety of passengers and other seafarers.
The Branch President of MWUN in Rivers State, who also represented the President-General, described the scheme as a landmark development that would boost confidence in commuters along the waterways.
Speaking on the scheme, which is in partnership with Multijanc Concepts Limited as consultants, Mr.Uchenna Okaranwolu, Head of Bancassurance of Coronation Life Assurance Limited, said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) guarantees safety of passengers on the waterways.
Mr.Okaranwolu, who represented Adebowale Adesona, Managing Director/CEO of Coronation Life Assurance Limited, credited Rivers State for “pioneering an initiative in the Maritime sector that will later run through all the littoral states of Nigeria” adding that “this scheme is to ensure the safety and well-being of our drivers, passengers and all other users of our waterways”.
He said, “this initiative will have passengers contribute a little premium of #100.00 to finance the policy each time they travel by sea, but they will benefit greatly in case of any mishaps or accidents, wherein for deaths and permanent disabilities, the policy operators would receive #500,000.00 each, while #50,000.00 would be for those injured (medical expenses).
Okalanwolu also informed that the financial institution backing the Coronation Life Assurance Limited is solid and that all users of the policy should be assured that,no matter the level of claims,they would be paid,as approved after due investigation.
Representative of National Inland Waterways Authority, Mr.Sunday Nyenwe, and of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport,Rivers State, Sir Engr.Dagogo Inimgba, expressed hope that the scheme would be sustainable and not a flash in the pan.
Engr.Inimgba urged stakeholders: passengers, drivers, Union members, security agencies, NIWA and others to observe the required terms for the effective implementation and possibly institutionalize the scheme in the matters of riverine transportation.
He said the State Ministry of Transport received the news of the scheme with great joy because of the incidences associated with water transformation and would support same as required.
The Nigeria Navy, Marine Police, Bonny Indigenous Transport Association were were equally represented at the event.
