Stakeholders from diverse sectors including the public and private sectors have expressed their concern about the safety of lives at workplaces and have resolved to establish partnerships to improve the safety of lives at work.
The stakeholders resolved to among others establish potent partnerships to stunt the astronomic rate of fatalities, accidents, and incidents, especially in the nation’s workplaces which according to them is a key strategy to revamp the nation and its economy as far as health and safety are concerned.
The Stakeholders rolled out this resolution during the 12th International Safety Conference and awards which was held recently at the Conference Hall of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Mabushi, Abuja.
Declaring the Event open, the Conference Committee Chairman Engr, Christian Oyinbo FOSHA noted that Security, Saving lives, and promoting safety everywhere is everybody’s business.
“In Health and Safety, the slogan safety is the responsibility of all, simply means that we are all parties working together for mutual benefits and it can only be if every one of us plays his/her role then we can generate health and safety and make the partnership to work,” he said.
Similarly, The Minister of State for Works Housing, Hon. Umar I. El-Yakub speaking on the theme of the event: “A Partnership that Works: The Role of Stakeholders Towards Safety of Lives at Work” emphasized that everyone must get involved to promulgate safety across the board.
Expressing his delight with the advocacy strides of the Occupational Safety and Health Association, The Works Minister noted that Nigeria has significantly improved in terms of Health and Safety Compliance because of the Unrelenting and ever-flaming drive of the OSHAssociation towards its mandate of stunting fatalities, acceding and incident across the board and called on stakeholders to key into the safety drive and salvage the country from the narrative of being among the least in terms of health and safety compliance.
The Regional President of OSHAssociation Nigeria Region, HRH, Dr Amb, Olusegun Aderemi, FOSHA, implored everyone to remain steadfast because “it is our prime responsibility to ensure everyone’s safety around you and your environment; in order words, the role of stakeholders towards the safety of lives at work or home should be a shared responsibility, where we all need to cooperate to advance our mutual interests.”
“This shared responsibility that I mentioned earlier implies that the issue of safety should be a pre-condition and take dominance in the course of designing every policy, and operational procedure at workplaces. If we all play our roles responsibly with passion and commitment the theme of this 12th International Safety Conference would have achieved a very positive outcome.
In a lecture at the event, Prof George A Genyi , FOSHA, averred that safety is a matter of life and death revealing that many deaths recorded in Nigeria occur as a result of negligence to safety tenets in his paper titled: The Need for Partnership for All.
Also unveiled at the event was the OSHAssociation UK Safety Anthem which was composed and Sung by Dr A C Madu FOSHA, The Imo State Chapter Chairman of the Association. Kids Safety Presentation and Unveiling of Amanda the Smart Safety Girl by Zara Uwalaka was yet another exciting moment at the conference as everyone was thrilled and mesmerized by the presentation of the lad.
The high point of the event was the investiture of some key stakeholders as Fellows of the OSHA-UK – Nigeria (FOSHA) and the induction of scores as members (MOSHA) all of whom have distinguished themselves by being safety ambassadors across their respective areas of influence
Similarly, the event was used to decorate some notable individuals with a merit Award of safety excellence on the Honourable Minister of State for Works and Housing, Hon. Umar I. El-Yakub, the Honourable Minister of Environment, Barr. Abdullahi Mohammed, Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi rtd. as well as the Honourable Minister of State for FCT, Dr Ramatu Tijani Aliyu.
Meanwhile, the Etsu Nupe. His Royal Majesty Dr Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar GCFR was decorated with the star award of Grand Patron of the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA), United Kingdom, Nigeria Region. The chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers joins the league of eminent but few Nigerians to be so decorated in that cadre, among who is the Sultan of Sokoto, Alh. Saad Abubakar, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi and Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, among others.
OSHAssociation has never relented in advocating for safety best practices in the nation, to this effect, Association has rolled out several campaign programs such as Conferences, workshops, and training programs among others across the nation through its chapters all in a bid to consciencetize the citizenry on the need and benefits of safety compliance in workplaces as well as across the board.
– Alanza Giwa
Safety View Media, Abuja.
To the oshassociation.org administrator, Thanks for the informative post!
Dear oshassociation.org webmaster, Thanks for the informative post!