FG committed to enforcement of Factories Act

Minister of Labour and Employment Dr  Chris Ngige has reiterated  the Federal Government commitment to enforcement of Factories Act of 1990 as it concerns occupational safety and health component of labour activities. Ngige said this when a delegation from the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers, a division of the Nigeria Society of Engineers paid him […]

Minister of Labour and Employment Dr  Chris Ngige has reiterated  the Federal Government commitment to enforcement of Factories Act of 1990 as it concerns occupational safety and health component of labour activities.

Ngige said this when a delegation from the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers, a division of the Nigeria Society of Engineers paid him a visit in his office on Thursday in Abuja.

He said this was imperative as occupational safety and health had been taken for granted and has been neglected in the country for longtime.

“We are geared up towards implementing and enforcing those laws, because we have a enough labour laws in this country to cater for occupational Health  and safety of the workers and the employers.

“ Nigeria has  enough laws but it is enforcement that is the problem. Today,  C of Os are given, building plans are approved without input from occupational health and safety engineers.

“That is without the Occupational Health and Safety Department of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, so realising that I decided to awaken that department, ‘’he said.

The minister said efforts had been made to recruit health inspectors, factories inspectors, among others to beef up the department the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC).

He said that by next week the Acting Chairman of Commission of FCSC would issue letters for recruitment of those qualify to fill the vacancies in the  Occupational Health and Safety Department of the Ministry.