The Federal Government says more than 17,500 road construction workers are to be re-engaged as contractors return to project sites across the country.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, made this known when he featured on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that the contractors had declared their readiness to re-engage workers, who were laid off due to the huge debt owed by the Federal Government in the past three years.
“We are trying to ensure that everybody (contractors and workers) go back
as quickly as possible to have the most effective impact.
“Just by speaking to 20 of our road contractors yesterday on the number of
people they have laid off who they can move back to work.
“The return that I got was over 17,500 people that they would re-engage.
“So, that is the first step. We have over 200 road projects, so, that is just 20 contractors and we are going to be meeting with more.
Now, that’s change. People who lost their work are coming back to work.
That’s what this budget brings.
“Capital expenditure for the ministry is about N353 (billion). That’s a lot different from what we had in 2015.’’
Fashola criticised the failure of the previous governments to settle debts owed contractors, a situation, which he said, had created enormous challenges even in the face of dwindling oil revenue.
He, however, stressed that the government would not allow current challenges to distract it from doing its best possible to improve the well-being of the people.
“If contractors have not been paid for three years when oil was selling for a lot more, the budget is bigger now but the responsibility is just enormous because the oil resources have reduced.
“So, this is what we should have done three years ago when we had income at close to 100 dollars per barrel.
We are going to run as hard as we can. And everything little thing that we do, we hope would improve the quality of peoples’ lives.
According to him, the biggest impact of the budget so far is the restoration of jobs, beginning with the construction sector.
“Taking one simple step means that we can take about 17,500 and more people to work. That’s more important to me than how much debt was owed.

For full details visit:
www.nmetblog.com/2016/05/more-than-17-500-workers-to-be-engaged_53.html?m=1

Sai Change!!. We were scammed

Is that what you call a job? Working as a construction worker? All the 17,500 will be disengaged once we enter raining season. Julius Berger and RCC no dey smile at all for manual workers

chikel2000:
Sai Change!!. We were scammed

Did you bother to read the entire piece?

Fashola is madd their evil policies have rendered over 5 million people jobless

MarysMeal:



Did you bother to read the entire piece?

Can u just take me to scotland pls

Kabba85:
Is that what you call a job? Working as a construction worker? All the 17,500 will be disengaged once we enter raining season. Julius Berger and RCC no dey smile at all for manual workers

Wait o, you were expecting to be employed into Chevron?

Sai Fashola

We have heard all these several times..can we just get to work PMB and co?