The Federal Government has shut down the diving operations of Scorpion Oil Services onboard MV African Installer offshore Lagos for operating without the requisite approvals and violating the provisions of the Factories (Diving at Work) Regulations, 2018.

The decision to close operations of the company followed a monitoring exercise conducted by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, led by the Director of Factories of the Federation, who is also the Director, Occupational Safety and Health department of the Ministry, Lauretta Adogu and the Chief Inspector of Diving, Julius Ugwala.

In a statement by the Head, Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, Adogu stated that the monitoring exercise was aimed at ensuring full compliance with Nigeria’s Factories (Diving at Work) Regulations, 2018.

She said the diving operations being carried out by the contractor, Scorpion Oil Services, posed huge threats to the divers, as an on-the-spot assessment also revealed that the company was using inappropriate equipment and unqualified personnel.

Adogu said that Scorpion Oil Services also disregarded the Local Content law, with the operations wholly dominated by foreigners.

She said: “The operators did not comply with the Factories (Diving at Work) Regulations, 2018. The Regulations stipulate that before any diving operation commences within the Nigerian territorial waters, there must be an authorization approval issued by the Director of Factories of the Federation.

“Additionally, the Local Content law says Nigerians should be considered first for such operations, but the operators did not meet that requirement, as the place was filled with expatriates.

“Diving operations must get authorization approval before commencement, and this company has not requested any approval and does not have one.

“The company is being closed for non-compliance to these, and work here has been prohibited.”