Lalong, Onyejeocha Pledge to Pursue Job Creation, Workers’ Welfare 

*To resolve dispute with labour over fuel subsidy 

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja 

New Minister of Labour and Employment, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong and Minister of State, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejeocha have promised to work towards ensuring decent work place and creation of jobs for the unemployed youths in the country.

On the relationship with the organised Labour, the Minister said the Ministry will work closely with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) and their affiliates not only to ensure that all pending industrial disputes are settled amicably, ‘but also addressing with strong determination the new minimum wage and other palliatives arising from the removal of fuel subsidy”.

Lalong who spoke on assumption of duty at the ministry Monday in Abuja, said the president had mandated the ministry to ensure decent work place and better remuneration for the workers in the country.

He said: “President directed that the ministry of labour should move on with the negotiations with organised labour over the pending dispute on fuel subsidy removal to achieve amicable resolution.

“Under my stewardship, the Ministry of Labour and Employment will fulfill its mandate of ensuring decent work for all Nigerians and making sure that our citizens, particularly the youth and women, get the opportunity to deploy their energy, creativity, talent and gifts to the development of the nation

“Because of the level of unemployment, underemployment, and challenges associated with the work environment, we have been mandated by Mr. President to ensure that Nigerians get decent employment and are adequately remunerated for their labour both in the public and private sectors. “We shall not spare any effort to protect the Nigerian worker and guarantee his dignity at all times,” he said.

On her part, the Minister of State, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejeocha, promised  to work collectively with everybody in the ministry to see that necessary changes were brought into place to impact positively on the lives of Nigerians.

Onyejeocha said that every Nigerian has a moral duty to support changes that will bring turn around in the affairs of the country.

“We promised Nigerians that we are going to take many of our youths out of the streets and it is important that we work towards fulfilling the promises of this government to Nigerians,” she said 

Earlier, the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Juliana Adebambo,  said that the Ministry’s staff and indeed Nigerians are full of expectations on what the ministers will bring on board to move things forward.

According to her, from their antecedents, both ministers have shown that they have a lot to offer to achieve the mandate of the ministry.