*** Allege Bola Oyebamiji Focused on Osun Governorship Ambition, Rarely Visits Lokoja
By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
Indigenes of Lokoja have accused the management of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) of neglecting the host community and marginalising them in employment, contracts, and local empowerment initiatives.
They alleged that the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of the agency, Bola Oyebamiji, has practically relocated the organisation’s operations from its statutory headquarters in Lokoja to Abuja, in what they described as an “administrative injustice” to the people of Kogi State.
According to several community leaders, although NIWA’s national headquarters is officially situated in Lokoja, most official correspondences, decisions, and administrative activities are now handled from Abuja.
They further claimed that the MD/CEO visits Lokoja only once every two months, often for brief appearances that last less than a day.
“Lokoja hosts NIWA’s headquarters, but our people are not given employment or contracts here,” one of the aggrieved residents lamented.
“The MD/CEO hardly stays in Lokoja; he prefers to run the agency from Abuja while pursuing his political ambition in Osun State.”
The residents accused the NIWA boss of being more focused on his reported governorship ambition in Osun State, where he previously served as a personal assistant to a former governor.
They alleged that his political activities have distracted him from effectively managing the agency, which is a critical federal establishment meant to promote inland waterways transportation across the country.
Another community stakeholder who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed concern that the continued absence of the MD/CEO has created a leadership vacuum in the Lokoja office.
“Many staff now prefer to stay in Abuja, leaving only junior workers to manage affairs in Lokoja. This is unacceptable, especially when you consider that Lokoja was chosen as headquarters to promote river transport development along the Niger and Benue rivers,” he said.
Some residents also accused NIWA of failing to fulfill its corporate social responsibility to the host communities.
They claimed that the agency has not contributed meaningfully to infrastructural or youth development projects in Lokoja despite its presence there for over two decades.
“We expected NIWA to help improve our environment — through scholarships, community projects, or job opportunities. Instead, the place looks deserted most times. It feels like the headquarters is only a nameplate,” a youth leader complained.
The aggrieved indigenes therefore called on the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, led by Hon. Adegboyega Oyetola, to urgently investigate the situation.
They urged the minister to ensure that NIWA resumes full-scale operations in Lokoja and that the host community benefits from its presence.
They also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct all federal parastatals to operate effectively from their designated headquarters, warning that relocating operations to Abuja undermines federal character and fuels regional imbalance.
As of the time of filing this report, the management of NIWA had yet to respond to the allegations or issue any official statement regarding the concerns raised by Lokoja residents.
Background:
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) was established through an Act of Parliament in 1997 to improve and regulate inland waterways navigation and transportation in Nigeria.
The agency, headquartered in Lokoja, Kogi State, is mandated to manage the nation’s vast network of rivers, promote water-based economic activities, and ensure safety and efficiency in inland transport operations across the country.
