Sign Safety, Industrial Hazard Bill into law, Nigerian engineers advised FG

Engr Balarabe Inuwa Abdullahi Swearing in the newly elected NSE Kano Branch Chairman, Engr Rabiu Haruna

The Nigeria Society of Engineers, NSE, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Safety and Industrial Hazard Bill before him into law.

The engineers said over 80 per cent of the Nigeria’s industries are operating below safety requirements. They said the safety law is needed to strengthen the industries’ operational capabilities.

Speaking as guest lecturer during the inauguration of the newly elected executive of the Kano NSE, and induction of newly elected corporate members on Saturday, Professor Adamu Alhaji of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bayero University, Kano, said there are insinuations that most industries in Nigeria are operating below safety requirements.

Mr. Alhaji said the bill can be seen as a stringent penalty for defaulters which might result in the closure of many substandard Industries.

The don said the industrial safety bill was passed by the Senate in 2012. He said pressure from industries on the former President Goodluck Jonathan prevented him from signing the bill.

“But we are confident that Buhari, who is said to have Industrial blueprint, will assent this bill into law,” he said.

The university don said Nigeria currently relies on a factory Law of 1978, amended in 1999 and 2004, as the closest to industrial safety law. He said the current law had less stringent penalty on defaulters of safety standards.

Prof. Alhaji said construction companies were the most guilty of violating safety standards. He said the bill before the president provides adequate compensation for victims of poor standards by industries.

In his speech, the newly elected Chairman of the Kano NSE, Rabiu Haruna, said his administration will create more branches of the association in the state.

He said he will strive to ensure a sound relationship with the state government.

Apart from Engr . Haruna, some other members of the 11-person Kano NSE executive include Dayyabu Tijjani, General Secretary; and Lawan Usman, treasurer.

Source: PremiumTimes