Andoni River Mishap: Boat Driver Begs For Forgiveness

Mr. Ayayi Festus Promise, the man whose four children and a grandchild perished in the January 9, 2024 boat disaster on the Andoni/Bonny waterway, has cried out for help.
Promise, who was the driver of the boat, also begged for forgiveness, saying that the boat mishap took away all he had and he was left with nothing to continue with his life.
The victim, who hails from Ngo Town in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, was travelling with his entire family with other people in his fishing boat when the boat was struck by a strong wave, which split the boat in two mid-sea and emptied all the passengers into the water. They were 25 in all in the boat.
Promise and his wife and 12 other passengers survived the mishap. But their four children and one grandchild along with six other passengers died in disaster.
Rivers State Governor, Mr. Siminalayi Fubara, and Andoni Local Government Chairman, Erasmus Awortu, who commiserated with the families affected by the disaster, also called for greater safety on the waterways.
Narrating how the accident occurred, Promise, who is a fisherman based in Finima, Bonny said they were travelling back to Bonny from Andoni after the Christmas festivities when the incident occurred.
He said though the mishap occurred right in front of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas plant on the Bonny waterway, no rescue team came to their aid.
He said, “I loaded people who had no money to pay their way back. Incidentally, the boat capsized in front of NLNG where there was no rescue.
“About 11 people died and out of that 11 people, five were my children. We lost everything. There is no way now for me to survive. Everything in my life; phone, money that I would have survived on; everything, my boat and my business was lost in the mishap.
“I don’t know how to restart my business. In my presence, my children. In my presence, people that survived with me were crying and crying. No way.
“I want the state government and Andoni Local Government to assist me. Forgive me my sin that I committed and assist me.”
An online group trying to raise funds for victims of the January 9 disaster has also published account details of Mr. Promise for people to assist him stand on his feet again.
CP Disu assured residents of the state of the Police Command’s commitment to peace and security in the state.