LASG declares waterways safer, introduces cash reward system for users

By Moses Adeniyi

Lagosians who use the waterways through the Lagos State Ferry Services, (LAGFERRY) now stand the chance to win cash rewards ranging from N5,000 – N100,000, Nigerian NewsDirect has learnt.

This is just as the State Government has said assured its waterways is now safer for businesses and commuters.

The reward system came on the heels of the adoption of Eko Token into the operating system of LAGFERRY, giving users the chance to win up to a N100million through a weekly draw.

The system, the State Government said, was introduced to give added advantage to users of waterways through LAGFERRY.

The Managing Director, Lagos State Ferry Services (LAGFERRY), Abdoulbaq Ladi Balogun, at a press briefing on Thursday to disclose the new development in the services, said the need for waterways users “to enjoy and maximise” the benefits of the use of waterways informed the adoption of the reward system.

According to him, there has been since 2019, a transformation of the waterways sector, mentioning that key interests and commitment of the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to development of the State’s waterways has afforded essential investment for crucial growth and acceptability among Lagosians.

The LAGFERRY Boss disclosed that more boats would be commissioned for use in close time, mentioning that with the development, experiences with businesses and cummuting would further receive broader outlook with firm control and regulation.

According to him, the collaboration with Eko token, which he described as “seamless, wonderful and fantastic initiative” is a pathway for waterways users to enjoy added benefits, extending reward system to users who patronise Lagos Ferry Services.

He added that with assurance of safety and comfort, users now have benefits to wining “something at the end of day” which he said would come in “cash and kind”, while increasing their mileage.

Speaking, the State’s Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke said the core values of the initiative is to create responsive path to meet needs of Lagosians.

According to her, the initiative was conceived “to better the lives of Lagosians”, stating that the “success is for every Lagosians to get benefits for every purchase with instant rewards.”

“It is a dawn of new season to change lives of Lagosians for good,” she said, stating that it was right time for businesses to begin to reward Lagosians who the have contributed to their “success stories.”

“There has been nothing like this in Nigeria. As the economic nerve center of the Country, every good thing must start from Lagos. 100 percent, the initiative is meant for the advantage of Lagosians. It is for you, EKO is not only for show, EKO is for reward,” she said.

She mentioned that it is deserving for local and international companies and businesses to value and appreciate those “Lagosians” who have formed their success stories as customers and service users.

“We are now telling them (companies and businesses) that you should reward those that have made you to rise from nothing to something,” she said.

She appreciated the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his full support towards the birthing of the initiative.

The General Manager, Lagos State Consumers Protection Agency (LASCOPA), Afolabi Sholebo, said the Government is committed to protecting the rights of consumers in the State.

He said the reward system would avail Lagosians not just to get “the value for money and services” but also tokens, “while spending and at the same time getting benefits.”

“Spending money and getting reward is something that should be appreciated,” he said, mentioning that the initiative forms a part of efforts to actualise making Lagos a 21st century economy as captured in the THEMES agenda.

The Chairman, the United Waterways Passengers Association, Ade Bakare, said members of the Association are looking forward “to the project being successful and impactful.”

Mentioning that it is not so cheap to “to fly waterways”, he said the initiative comes with added advantage with immense benefits to passengers “to get something in return for money spent on waterways.”

He said with more LAGFERRY boats, there has been an increase in the usage of waterways in Lagos, stating that with improved monitoring mechanisms, only very few incidences of mishaps were recorded in two years.

The CEO Lagos Lottery And Gaming Authority, Mr. Are Bashir, said the project was built around the anchor of the THEMES agenda, which he said was designed around Private Public Partnership (PPP) under a tripod arrangement.

According to him, the realities of COVID-19 pandemic with the associated economic challenges, necessited the essentials of innovation to address new situations.

Describing the system as a “win-win situation for every stakeholders”, he said “the initiative is all encompassing and a great innovation,” employing all Lagosians to key into it to optimise the benefits.

According to him, the system have been taken through all approval, monitoring for validation processes and integrity test, to ensure transparency for Lagosians not to be swindled.

The General Manager, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr. Damilola Emmanuel, said the Government in eftort to raise the standards for safety measures, has employed more officers to strengthen its work force for proper monitoring of waterways activities and increase patrol for rescue mission.

According to him, mechanisms have been put in place for access to petrol on the waterways in the State, disclosing that the State is at the verge to commission a broad based command and control centre for effective monitoring of all activities on waterways to respond to unfortunate incidences.

According to him, the safety measures is very important, to encourage more people, mentioning that there has been about 90 to 95 percent compliance to the use of life jackets with stricter controls.

He disclosed that the State Government provides a minimum of 2000 life jackets to various stakeholders for safety precautions.

In his testimony, a beneficiary of Eko Token, Saheed Ogundare, who won a sum of N3million in April, said he was linked to Eko token through MTN and was in short time informed of the fortune after a draw.

The CEO, Cash Token Africa, Lai Labode, represented by the Head Business Expansion Unit, Adeoye Timi, said the integration of Eko Token into LAGFERRY services offers a broader range of coverage for Lagosians to benefit from the tripod system.

He said the token is routed through fair and transparent reward system, with cash rewards for consumers whose transactions having reached N5,000 are entitled to Eko token points for the weekly draw for cash rewards.

Eko Token initiative is a scheme which focuses on financial inclusion to bring more people under the system of wealth creation through a tripod system involving the government, business entities and Lagosians who would get benefits of tokens for every purchase with the chance of cash reward ranging between N5,000 and 100million from a weekly raffle draw.