RAAMP REITERATES ADVOCACY FOR SAFEGUARDS IN PROJECT EXECUTION
The Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, RAMP has made a renewed case to strengthen the adherence and minimization of safeguard issues, not only among contractors handling jobs under RAAMP but across other projects so as to forestall imminent occurrences of adverse impacts during or after completion of such projects.
Akwa Ibom State Project Coordinator of RAAMP, Pastor Gideon Akpan made the emphasis recently at a one-day training session organized for the supervision consultant, contractors and other stakeholders in the spot improvement component of jobs currently being executed under the project across various parts of the state.
The coordinator charged the participants not only to build and strengthen their capacities at the instance of the programme but more importantly, to demonstrate the knowledge gained in the actual process executing their respective jobs for overall best results. ‘‘The World Bank places very high premium on safeguard issues, which underscores the essence of this exercise. While it is important to expound your knowledge on more safeguard rudiments, it is of more essence to deploy this knowledge into practice during the physical construction works so as to realize the prime objectives of this event,’’ he said.
In his presentation titled ‘’General Overview of Safeguards,’’ the Technical Assistant on Environmental Safeguards, Mr. Ekpenyong Effiong Udoh enumerated major safeguard prevention steps to include: identification of safeguard problems; trying to avoid the problem; mitigating the problem; and ultimately minimising the adverse and social impacts that might likely occur. His words: ‘’ Safeguarding encompasses the preventing of harm or abuse from a cross section of issues – occupational, physical, emotional, health, nutritional, livelihoods, emergency responses, water, sanitation and hygiene, etc. ‘’
On her part, speaking on the topic: ‘’Occupational Health and Safety,’’ the Environmental Safeguard Officer, Mrs. Nse-Abasi Udom admonished the participants to leave no stone unturned towards the prevention of avoidable hazardous occurrences at their various sites such as ensuring the compulsory use of Personal Protective Equipments, PPEs etc. pointing out that ‘’to prevent / protect is always much easier and cheaper than to repair,’’ while the Social Safeguards Officer, Mr. Asuquo Essah, who discussed on ‘’Social Risks,’’ identified such dangers to include labour influx around the project areas; activities of school drop outs; cases of child abuse; etc. and their attendant negative impacts on the project – all with the view towards exploring mitigation measures towards redressing them.
The Gender Based Violence Officer, Mrs. Uduak George also made a presentation the various prevention measures against Gender Based Violence, GBV as well as ensuring Protection from Sexual Exploitation Abuse and Harassments, PSEAH.
Responding on behalf of other participants, Ms Stella Paulinus Akpan of Akpaven Integrated Services, described the session as highly beneficial and thanked the leadership of RAAMP and other stakeholders for organizing the programme.
The event featured an interactive session, where issues raised on grey areas were addressed. Participants were presented with certificates at the end of the exercise.
