By Jimitota Onoyume
WARRI—THE  Federal Government   and international oil companies, IOCs, have been urged to give indigenous divers greater attention.

Making the appeal, National President, National Association of Professional Divers, NAPROD,  Mr Timothy Minimah, said indigenous divers  were as good as their foreign counterparts, noting that they should not be discriminated against in terms of salaries and allowances.

Divers searching for missing passengers

He said that there were enough  indigenous divers  to meet the demands of the oil and gas industry in the country, adding that government should give them the needed support.

Minimah, who was recently elected the national president of the body, said his administration would focus on building synergy with relevant sectors in the oil and gas industry to promote the welfare of his members.

“We are determined as a new team to take our association to greater heights,” he said.

Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the  body, Mr Etanabene Ben, also harped on the need for government and oil companies to encourage growth of  indigenous divers .

“It is unfortunate that Nigerians don’t know the importance  of divers. They do not know  what the country loses by patronising foreign divers.  Government should encourage divers. Our divers have been trained in various international diving institution, so they are as good as their foreign counterparts,” he said.