Two years after the Federal Executive Council (NEC) approved the Diving at Work Regulation, the Federal Government has set up the Diving Governing Board to implement the provisions of the regulation. It also appointed Julius Ugwala as chief inspector of diving for the country.
Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, who inaugurated the Board on Friday in Abuja, urged them to enforce the regulations that would restore sanity to the sector.
Noting that disregard for safety and health status of divers would no longer be condoned, he said the Board would furnish the sector with a code of practice that meets global best practice.
The Minister, who noted that the industry had been stunted by poor standards, expressed confidence in the ability of the Board to better the sector through strict enforcement of regulations and monitoring of industry operations.
“The inauguration of the Board will give impetus to the emergence of the much needed detailed guidance for safe use, installation, maintenance and examination of diving programmes and operations within our territorial waters. It shall guide the implementation of intervention and inspection programmes to reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities, and to eliminate occupational hazards associated with the use of diving equipment,” he explained.
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According to him, the Board shall advise and make recommendations to the Minister responsible for matters of labour and employment, adding that the enforcement of regulations would no doubt create employment for Nigerian youths.
The Minister however commended the National Association of Professional Divers and other critical stakeholders for their support during the process of developing and finalising the Diving at Work Regulation. Earlier, Yerima Tarfa, permanent secretary, called for strict compliance with safety and health guidelines for increase in productivity and for national development.
In his inaugural speech, Julius Ugwala, chief inspector of Diving, congratulated the Diving Industry on the landmark development and thanked the Federal Government for its commitment to making the industry efficient and globally competitive.
He said the regulations would open up new opportunities for industry to grow and create jobs. He called on stakeholder to recognise the supremacy of the Diving Regulation to enable them conduct their activities within the ambit of the law.
“As the Chief Diving Inspector, I am committed to global best practices, safe operations, equity and to the development of the sector in line with the provisions of the regulation,” he said.
Timothy Dagogo Minima, president of the National Association of Divers (NAPROD), who is also a member of the Board, said the industry finally has a chance to grow, adding that NAPROD has been foremost in the campaign for the enforcement of the regulations.
He said indigenous divers had lost their lives as a result of poor enforcement of safety standards, adding that every measure put in place for safety and advancement is a step in the right direction.
Other members of the board include Lauretta Adogu, director of Factories, Ministry of Labour and employment; Austin Okogun, representative of the Hyperbaric Medical Practitioners Society; Commodore J. E Ake, representative of Nigerian Navy; Sunday Umoren of NIMASA; Forcados Agadabiri, representative of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), and George Soberekon Bipiamina of NAPROD.
