The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) says about 60,000 Nigerians in the engineering and construction sector are now out of jobs following the suspension of infrastructural development by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, which marked its first 100 days in office last Saturday, September 5.
According to Channels TV report, the disclosure was made yesterday at a press briefing in Lagos by Mr Amechi Asugwuni, President of NLC’s affiliate union, National Union of Civil Engineering and Construction Workers. The union leader “asked the Federal Government to channel the same effort in fighting corruption on infrastructural development to create jobs for the teeming unemployed population,” the report said.
Mr Asugwuni was further quoted as saying: “It has become critical and we are still lacking answers because we have not seen the plan for infrastructure. Fight against corruption is like fight against indiscipline, which must continue side-by-side with development.
“We believe that Mr President should as a matter of fact reactivate all the ongoing projects across the nation. The reactivation is to reactivate the employment of Nigerians.”
The report said that Mr Asugwuni asked the Buhari administration to constitute a committee to monitor projects and contracts and entrench labour friendly policies. (Channelstv)