The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige during the commissioning of an Information and Communication Technology Centre (ICT) built by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Ugwunagbo LGA of Abia State recently, described vocational training and skills acquisition as ranking high in President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s quest to develop a self-reliant low and middle level manpower base.
This was contained in a monthly report on the review of activities for the month of November 2015 issued by the Publicity Department of the Ministry on December 2, 2015. The report said that the centre will provide qualitative skills acquisition, create veritable workshops for self reliant productivity as well as contribute to the poverty reduction programme of this administration.
According to the report, the Minister on 11th of November 2015 in Abuja said that he is poised to stem the tides of unemployment. Adding, his Ministry will be at the fore front of the battle against the menace of unemployment in Nigeria by helping to chart the way for employment generation. The report further noted that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Clement Illoh on this occasion assured the Minister of the full cooperation of the management and staff of the Ministry, including its agencies towards actualisation of their mandates.
In another development, Chris Ngige and the Minister of State, James Ocholi on the 19th of November 2015 when various departments in the Ministry took turns to brief them mentioned that meeting the challenges of unemployment and maintenance of industrial harmony in the labour sector are the critical agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari. They intensified that the Ministry will leverage on advancement in information communication technology to resuscitate job centres for job placement, carrier guidance and counselling as well as facilitation of labour mobility and extension of employment services to all the states of the federation.
“To ensure successful provision of social security protection to the vulnerable group, the Ministry will ensure development of the National Policy on Social Security and ratification of the Social Security (ILO Convention 102) as well as develop the national databank on social security and cooperative societies,” they hinted.
Other activities carried out during the period under review was the conduct of the 10th Triennial National Delegates Conference of the Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA) on 6th of November 2015 in Abuja during which the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Clement Illoh commended the impact made by the construction industry to the economic development of the country. He also affirmed Government’s awareness of the series of confrontations besetting the construction industry – decent work, low income, need for freedom of association, fundamental human rights at work and social protection challenges.
Reporting further on the activities of the Ministry for November 2015, the Publicity Department inferred that the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba (Comrade) in a congratulatory message to the Minister of Labour and Employment expressed worry over the widespread cases of casualization and out-sourcing engaged by some employers as avenue for cutting costs on human resources, and expand profits. He also espoused on the need to put the Ministry’s Factory Inspectorate Division into proper functioning. The review also stated that the NLC leadership pledged to seek audience with the Minister on the issue of massive unemployment in the country and to offer advice, ideas and suggestions on quick reversal of the trend.
On the preponderance of strike actions in critical sectors like health among others, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry on the 5th of November 2015 in Abuja warned that these would truncate the attainment of national goals and aspirations with reference to the crisis that took place at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.
The Minister of Labour and Employment directed immediate reduction in the Duty Tour Allowance accruable to staff in the Ministry and its agencies, noting that no officer, including the Minister, Minister of State and Permanent Secretary will be allowed to stay out of the station for more than one night without the approval of the Permanent Secretary. He also stated the need for the Ministry and its agencies to key into the new development objectives of the Federal Government in streamlining its agencies as well as operations for efficiency and maximum output.
Also, as part of the activities of the Ministry in the month of November 2015, the Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) of the Ministry organized a one-day sensitization workshop for its management staff on “Work Ethics With Extant Rules and Regulations” aimed at checkmating corruption in work places. The Director of Occupational Safety and Health, Mofisat Arogundade, who represented the Permanent Secretary at the workshop called on the participants to take full advantage of the workshop to update their knowledge, in order to facilitate effective discharge of their assigned responsibilities. Also at the occasion, the Director of Special Duties, Felix Ogenyi observed that the challenges of corruption which has been an impediment to effective implementation of government policies as the fulcrum of the present administration deserves proper attention.
The Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit of the Ministry, Caroline Naanpoe Hata during the event stressed that the passage and establishment of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act by the previous regime underscores the seriousness of Government in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
ABUJA (Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment Report)
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