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Govt seeks collaboration for policy review of occupational safety

By Collins Olayinka, Abuja
04 August 2015   |   4:34 am
THE Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity has called on all relevant stakeholders in the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) sector to contribute to the on-going review of the extant National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health. Director, Occupational Safety and Health in the ministry, Mrs. Nofisat Arogundade made the call recently in Abuja while…

Mental healthTHE Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity has called on all relevant stakeholders in the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) sector to contribute to the on-going review of the extant National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health.

Director, Occupational Safety and Health in the ministry, Mrs. Nofisat Arogundade made the call recently in Abuja while addressing a collaborative meeting on Occupational Safety and Health conveyed by the society of Occupational and Environmental Health Physician of Nigeria (SOEHPON).

She said: “The review of the extant National Policy on Occupational Safety and health is in progress. I urged all stakeholders to submit inputs to produce one policy document on occupational safety and health in line with global best practices.”

Speaking further Arogundade emphasised the need to entrench preventive culture in work places to make sure that workers safety and health is guaranteed in the course of executing their duties, while assuring of the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate with all stakeholders for continuous improvement in occupational health and safety practices in Nigeria.

Earlier in his remarks, the National Chairman of the Society, Dr. Okon Akiba expressed satisfaction in the effort that led to the holding of the meeting, while calling on all stakeholders to be open for discussions with the view of moving the operation of occupational safety and health in the country to the next level.

In her message, the Director of Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Bridget Okoaguale affirmed that occupational safety should be given top priority as thousands of workers died of preventable courses largely due to disregard for occupational safety and health practices.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has raised a committee to identify the causes of the industrial crisis rocking the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.

Raising the committee in Abuja at the end of a conciliatory meeting with the management of Federal Medical Centre Owerri and the representatives of the Nigeria Union Of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and the National Association of Nigeria Nurses & Midwives (NANNM), the Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement Illoh, listed the terms of reference of the committee to include: examining the remote and immediate causes of the current industrial relations actions and the withdrawal of services of workers at the Federal Medical Centre Owerri; to look at the submission made by the Union to Mr. President in a letter ref. HU/GFM/5/09 dated 3rd June, 2015 on Gross Financial Misconduct and High Handedness of the Medical Director, FMC Owerri, and any other relevant document submitted; to examine other issues that will strengthen the operations of the Federal Medical Centre Owerri and to make recommendations on achieving, sustaining and promoting industrial peace and harmony in the Federal Medical Centre Owerri.

Members of the committee are drawn from the Federal Ministry of Labour & Productivity, who chairs the committee, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (Secretary), two representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health, one representative from Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Federal Ministry of Labour & Productivity, Legal Adviser, a representative of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors/Medical Directors (observer), one representative each from the National Unions of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, and the National Association of Nigeria Nurses & Midwives.

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