Senate holds stakeholders forum on labour transportation bill

ABUJA —The Senate Committee on Land Transport, has held a public hearing on a Bill for an Act to Provide for the Transportation Protection and Facilities of Employee’s and other connected matters which are connected.
The purpose of the Bill is to protect and enforce the safety and dignity of Nigerian workers by ensuring that employers make provision for safe and convenient means of transportation for their workers.
The public hearing was declared open by Senate President, Abubakar Saraki, who was represented by the Leader of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan while the event was ably chaired by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transport, Senator Gbenga Ashafa.
The Chairman of the Committee, Ashafa, in his remarks stated, “Without prejudice to the decisions that this committee would arrive at, at the end of this process, I believe that the focus for this bill on the plight of the Nigerian Workers and the fact that it draws inspiration from the constitutional provision of the right to the dignity of the human person is genuinely commendable.
Among the notable stakeholders present at the Public Hearing was the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.
Senator Babajide Omoworare, the sponsor of the Bill also expressed appreciation to the stakeholders who took out time to be present at the public hearing and went through the reasoning behind his sponsoring of the bill and the purpose it sets out to achieve.
Among the notable stakeholders present at the Public Hearing was the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi
Other notable Stakeholders in attendance were representatives from: Nigeria Railway Corporation, Nigeria Institute of Transport Technology, Federal Road Safety Corps, Federation of Construction Industries, Kogi State Government, Julius Berger, Dantata and Sawoe, CCECC, SETRACO, Federal Capital Territory Secretariat, the National Union of Road Transport Workers, just to mention a few
The representative of Minister of Transport, Mrs. Uche-Okoro I.J Director, Legal Services, while expressing the position of the Ministry of Transportation commended the sponsor of the Bill, Omowoware and also the entire Senate in identifying with the plight of employees that are subjected to non-conducive vehicles in the course of transportation to and from their official duty posts and from work to sites.
The Ministry is of the view that the introduction of fines and imprisonment as punishment for offenders will discourage use of such vehicles and as such ensure the safety of workers in transit.
Other contributors at the public hearing also expressed their support for the Bill.
The Chairman at the end of the public hearing thanked all the stakeholders for their contributions to the Bill and assured stakeholders that their contributions would enhance and guide their legislative action