….As Gov Otu says anyone found guilty will face the law..
The Nigerian Medical Students Association has attributed the cause of Saturday’s boat mishap to negligence and incompetence of the Marina Resort Management jn Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The President of the Association,Ejim Clement Egba who addressed Journalists at the Slave History Museum described the incident as ugly and traumatizing.
” This ugly, avoidable and extremely traumatising incident causing so much anguish to the medical students community nationwide was as a result of negligence, incompetence and the lackadaisical attitude of the crew members and the management of Marine Resort”
Egba explained that the boat capsized when the engine of the boat went off and water gushed into the boat which was leaking.
According to him, the poor condition of the boat, dysfunctional engine and lack of maintenance culture among others contributed to the boat incident and called for the closure of the resort.
Three of the students were feared dead while 11 were rescued as the boat carrying the students on a cruise capsized.
The incident happened when the medical students were said to have converged on Calabar, the Cross River State capital, for the annual NIMSA Health Week and, as part of the activities, decided to visit the resort, where some embarked on a boat cruise.
Reacting to the incident,Governor Bassey Otu, in a statement on Saturday night, decried the safety standards at the resort, saying government would order a thorough investigation of the incident and anyone found guilty would face justice.
“The news of a cruise boat mishap at the Marina Resort, a tourist and relaxation destination in Calabar, is saddening and calls for concern not only as your governor but as a parent.
“To imagine that the boat was overcrowded and some of those on it were without life jackets is of even greater concern and the more reason why the state government will be investigating the incident, and all those found culpable of having compromised on safety standards will face the wrath of the law,”
