Following the boat mishap that occurred in Irewe, Ojo Local Government Area of the state, killing of six school children on Wednesday, July 1, Lagos State House of Assembly, on Thursday, summoned the leadership of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LSWA).

The resolution followed a motion moved by a member, Lanre Ogunyemi ( Ojo II), calling on his colleagues to rise up to the occasion as there has been a re-occurrence of such tragedy.

He explained that the 14-passenger boat capsized while another oncoming boat allegedly belonging to oil bunkerers sped recklessly thus destablising the smaller canoe leading to the drowning of the six children. While commiserating with the families of the deceased, the Chief Whip, Rotimi Abiru, urged his colleagues to call on the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LSWA), the regulatory body saddled with the responsibility of monitoring activities of waterways in the state to brace up.

Majority Leader, Sanai Agunbiade, said the latest tragedy has brought to limelight the need for the House to take decisive steps towards putting a stop to such sad occurrences.

“This particular incident has reinforced the need to use the defaulters as scapegoat. By doing this we will have sent a strong message to the operators at the waterways,” he said.

The school children were said to be on their way to school on their school canoe, when it was upturned by a bigger speed boat. It was gathered that they died because the boat operators never made safety and life jackets available, as instructed by the authorities.