Victor Ahiuma-Young
20 November 2008
Nigeria National Fitters Association (NNFA), has called on government to arrest the alarming rate of influx of expatriate fitters into the Nigerian economy, especially in the Petroleum industry, lamenting that the influx is not only rendering members and others jobless, but drawing back the nation's local content drive and national development.
President of NNFA, Comrade Taiwo Sufianu, at the inauguration of the Ogun provisional zone of association, blamed the ineffectiveness of officials of the Inspectorate division of Ministry of Labour and other appropriate government agencies for the upsurge of expatriate fitters into the nation's economy.
According to him: "We the Nigeria National Fitters Association, a professional body in the art of construction and fabrication that has Contributed Immensely to the growth of Industrial development in the country especially in the upstream and downstream sector of, membership has grown to over 11.000 (eleven thousand in year 2007.
"Many of the Multinationals companies operating in the country do not comply with the labour law. The influx of expatriates into the country is becoming very alarming. Even in our sector, the rate expatriate fitters are flooding the oil and gas sector calls for concern. Nigerian worker are being used as tools against their wishes. Safety gadgets are not provided for them thereby putting their health in great danger.
Unfortunately, the inspectorate unit of the Ministry of Labour which is saddled with responsibility of enforcing the labour laws, is not carrying out its function." He called on Ogun State governor to do more to create more job opportunities for the teaming unemployed people in the state.
According to him: "I want to use this opportunity to call on the state governor to initiate two million jobs per year to reduce the alarming rate of unemployment in the state and also implement a policy that will arrest the alarming influx of expatriate into the state. The high rate of criminal activities in the country is a direct consequence of the mass un-employment since "An idle hand is a devil's workshop."
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