The House of Representatives Committee on Safety and Regulations has demanded for current day health, safety, and environmental HSE, regulatory frameworks from major government agencies

At an interactive meeting with the Chief Executive Officers, the lawmakers demanded copies of the Health, Safety, and Environment HSE policies from the Nigerian Communications Commission NCC, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency NOSDRA, Industrial Training Fund ITF, the National Universities Commission NUC

They said the request has become expedient in order to ensure that their operations conform with globally accepted standards of operations and best practices

The Nigerian Communications Commission NCC, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency NOSDRA, Industrial Training Fund ITF, the National Universities Commission NUC, and all the other federal agencies were further cautioned to ensure a high standard of safety in their operations.

Chairman of the House Committee Hon. Ibrahim Hamza, noted, however, that it was not only enough to parade these certificates but that all operational areas in these agencies that had been certified as safe must be scientifically proven to be safe in all ramifications.

The Committee while interacting with NOSDRA’s Dipo Obadiagha, queried the safety standards of operation of the agency in the clean-up of Ogoni land in Rivers State

The lawmakers demanded the safety measures deployed in the clean-up exercise.

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A member of the committee Hon. Benjamin Kalu had said that the areas that had been certified to be safe in the cleanup exercise are not scientifically proven to be safe for the people of Ogoni

But the Director of Spill Detection NOSDRA assured the committee that there are appropriate safeguards for oil leakages

He further said that there is an oil spill control plan which contains safety precautionary and risk measures to address such environmental issues.

In addition, Director of Public Affairs NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, who represented the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbata also assured that a safety standard policy is in place in the agency.