By Giwa SHILE
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment towards creating employment opportunities through conductive environment for promotion of enterprise and provision of decent work place for Nigerians.
Prof. Stephen Ocheni, Minister of State for Labour and Employment said this while receiving members of the House of Representatives Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity on an oversight visit on Thursday in Abuja.
“The main focus of the ministry, in line with the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of the administration of Mr President is to get as many people out of unemployment.
“This is through the creation of a conductive environment for the promotion of enterprise and decent work for the citizenry, while maintaining harmonious working relationship between workers unions and employers in workplace nationwide,” he said.
Ocheni also said that the activities of the ministry were necessary for the efficient economic growth of the country as they affect the most important factor of production which is the human resource.
He added that the ministry needed to play greater role in the development of skills for the teeming workforce “in order to build the Nigeria of our dreams.”
The minister however, said that for the ministry to effectively carry out its mandates its required improved funding for its programmes and activities through improved budgetary allocation.
“I will like to cease the opportunity to advocate for improve budgetary provisions when the time comes,” Ocheni said.
He also noted that the ministry consists of seven professional and seven service departments, operates 36 state labour offices and the FCT.
He also said that there are six zonal labour offices, 23 district offices, resident desk offices in selected ministries, six parastatals and a Labour office at the ILO in Geneva, Switzerland.
On his part, Sen. Ezenwa Onyewuchi, Chairman, House Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity said the visit was to see what the ministry has done with its budgetary allocation.
Onyewuchi was represented by Sen. Babba Dan-Agundi, Deputy Chairman of the Committee.
