A former Minister of Transportation, Admiral Festus Porbeni, tells TOFARATI IGE about his experience as a boat owner and leisure boater
What stirred your interest in boating?
It came naturally to me. I am an Ijaw man and we are surrounded by water. Also, I worked with the Nigeria Navy for 35 years.
At a time you commanded the Aradu, a Nigeria Navy ship. What can you recall of that experience?
My first sea command was in 1974 when I captained a ship from Bremen in Germany to Nigeria at the age of 28. Being my first command, it was a bit rough and at some point, I had to go to Holland to take refuge.
How long have you been boating for leisure?
I started leisure boating in 2000 and I got the Lekki Phase One, Lagos, site where my boat club is located the same year. By providence, I became the president of the Nigeria Rowing, Sailing and Canoeing Federation. Also, I produce boats in partnership with a company.null
What does it take to make a boat?
It doesn’t take much to produce boats. Small boats that don’t have engines and require only paddle are quite easy to make. The one with engines is more difficult.
What are some of the potential that can be explored in water transportation?
When I was the Minister of Transportation, my priority areas were railways and waterways. Waterways offer the easiest mode of transportation; even better than railways. For example, Lagos traffic can be avoided if one uses waterways. From Festac in mainland Lagos, one can come directly to the island in good time without holdups. The volume of traffic on the roads would be greatly reduced if we make good use of our waterways. Whenever I am going to Ogudu on the mainland from Lekki, I take a boat and get there in 15 minutes. That is much faster than going by road. Most of our roads are getting bad because of the volume of traffic on them every day.
Some people believe that boating is only for the elite. Are they right?
People that live on the waterfront use canoes and other small boats and that doesn’t mean they are all elites? Boating is a means of transportation commonly used by people who live around water.
But when it comes to leisure boating, it is only people that have eaten three square meals and are comfortable that can indulge in it. It is a higher version of boating because one would also need to have other people working on the boat. However, that is not to say that only the elite participate in leisure boating; even working-class people can indulge in it too
How do you maintain your boat?
Boats are classified as ladies and that is why we use the pronoun, ‘she’, for them because they are quite difficult to maintain. Whenever people see us painting our boats, they wonder why we do that because we are using them on water. But, we have to paint the boat to make it look good, just the way ladies make-up their faces every time. Also, a boat could sink so we always have to always pump the water out every time.
What are some of the challenges that come with owning a boat in Nigeria?
When one gets a boat, one must constantly maintain it and leave no room for neglect. So, it is important to have repair facilities where the boats can be fixed.
Do you think leisure boating is well embraced in the country?
By virtue of the cost of maintaining it, only people who have taken care of their daily needs can afford to indulge in luxury boating. I recall that when I lived in Port Harcourt (Rivers State), people weren’t so disposed to using the waterways because there was a lot of kidnapping going on. In Lagos, there were times that people did not appreciate boating but today, the story has changed. These days, the youth are even more involved in boating.
What changes would you like to see in the boating world?
The Lagos State Water Authority is doing some work on the waterways. There should be signposts on the water to identify which place is shallow, and which is deep. Buoys should also be put on the water to indicate where one is supposed to navigate to and vice versa. Without these, one could easily ram into wreckage. There is the Global Positioning System now but in our days, we didn’t have it. We used the stars, moon and sun for navigation. I am very passionate about having proper markings and signposts on the waterways.
Boats moving at night should also have their lights on in order to avoid crashes.
What were some of the notable experiences you had in those days when you navigated with the moon, stars and sun?
I recall there was a time we went to Britain with a ship called NNS Ogbuma. I was the navigation officer and Commodore Aikhomu was the commanding officer. We went to Ghana and after we left there, we had engine failure. When one is going to Britain, one doesn’t go straight; one would have to stop in different countries. After our engine failed, we kept drifting around and as a navigating officer, I had to look at the sun to know where we were. By that time, there was no land in sight. That meant I could only determine our position using the sun. I did that and ascertained the course for us to steer the ship to.
In what ways do you think water transportation can be developed in Nigeria?
It is a means of transportation for conveying a lot of passengers and goods. In those days, the waterways were very vibrant. The government needs to pay attention to that area and encourage private investment in the sector.
You are the president of the Nigeria Rowing Sailing and Canoeing Federation and the vice president of the Confederation of African Canoeing. In what ways do those associations contribute to boating?
For the CAC, there were some boats donated to us by the international community but they were left at the port for 11 years. Meanwhile, our boys were going for competitions only with the theoretical knowledge of rowing. Little wonder that we always came last.
Just like it is widely held that Warri (Delta State) people always find a way out of tough situations, I decided to do something about it. When we returned to Nigeria, I went to the port in search of those boats lying fallow there. I paid some money and I was eventually able to clear the boats out of there. We started practising and things steadily improved. Today, the team is one to be reckoned with. Before, it was only white South Africans that qualified for the Olympics but I made sure that black Africans also did.
Have you ever had an accident while boating?
That was during my first command when I sailed from Bremen (Germany) to Nigeria. The sea was so rough that I had to take refuge in another country, Holland. As for leisure boating, I have not had any bad experience.
