By Amin Kef Sesay
An Industrial Safety and Security Committee was inaugurated on the 28th July 2021 by the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA) with the aim to create a strong inter-sectorial collaboration with stakeholders. The committee comprising members from various Ministries including Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Works, Sierra Leone Police, ONS and Civil Societies, will serve as an umbrella body to manage the prevention or mitigation of any security threat along the terminals.
From what was learnt by this medium, the Committee will also focus on new range of industrial protection initiatives and help solve sticky emerging problems within the sector.
The Executive Chairman of PRA, Dr. Brima Baluwa Koroma, speaking during the inauguration underscored the need for collaboration among the various key players for the safety, security of the individuals as well as the State and for peaceful co-existence to be optimized.
He gave a brief run-down of where the industry was and how far the New Direction Government of His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio had transformed the sector to become a viable entity.
The PRA Boss revealed Government’s commitment in repositioning the petroleum downstream to respond to the emerging challenges, taking into consideration the critical nature of the sector in national infrastructure and being a significant contributor to national development.
He appealed for a total cooperation among oil operators and stakeholders in transforming the workplace health and safety at all the various petroleum terminals including the Jetty facilities.
Various stakeholders highlighted critical roles they will be playing in accordance with the Committee’s mandate.
The committee comprises of the following institutions:
- Petroleum Regulatory Agency
- Ministry of Trade & Industry
- Ministry of Works & Public Assets
- Ministry of Information
- Ministry of Lands
- Ministry of the Environment
- Office of National Security
- Chair, Parliamentary Trade Committee
- Sierra Leone Police
- Environment Protection Agency
- Sierra Leone Maritime Administration
- NP- Sierra Leone
- Total Sierra Leone
- LeonOil
- Petrol Jetty
- Petrol Leone
- APP Sierra Leone
- Civil Societies
- National Fire Force
- The Member of Parliament
- The Councillor.
The Committee is expected to be having regular meetings, discuss extensively environmental and security situations around the various Oil installations and Jetty which are part of the country’s critical national infrastructures.
