Funds delay social safety policy take-off

Policy for roll-out next month as Ngige threatens
to sanction banks sacking workers

The much-awaited conditional cash transfer and other social safety net programme of the Federal Government would begin next month (July), the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige said yesterday.

The minister, speaking in Geneva, Switzerland at the on-going International Labour Conference (ILC) of the International Labour Organization (ILO), explained that the delay in the take-off of the programmes was caused by paucity of funds.

Ngige said, “The programme is going to take off immediately the cash backings are received. It will be released very soon as the Ministry of finance is working on it. We have decided that part of the catch backing would be deployed to capital development such as road construction contractors, building construction contractors and other construction workers. The essence is to enable them bring back workers that were laid off in their places of works.”

The Minister also stressed that the funds meant to finance capital projects would also be used to pay contractors, fund the on-going rehabilitation of railway projects, adding that the graduate enrollment programme would also kick start next month. He also hinted that portals would soon be opened where applicants’ qualifications would be screened for interview.

He threatened that government would not hesitate to revoke the license of any bank that embarks on retrenchment of workers without following due process.

Ngige said, “The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) is protecting its own interest. They are a leg of the tripod; nothing stops them from having their own opinion. They are the section that protects private investors. They are employers’ body and the people I am talking to are also employers. The bank’s boards, the banks chairmen, the bank’s MDs are the people I am talking to. I also talk to unions whenever the need be. In the same order I also asked the union not to picket the banks. They had mobilised to picket the banks.