Rivers State Government has expressed displeasure over the manner some multinational companies operating in the State spread employment opportunities without proper consultation. The Hon. Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment Dr. Ipalibo Macdonald Harry said this when the management of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) paid him a courtesy visit in Port Harcourt.
Dr. Ipalibo Harry said that any employment that does not pass through the Ministry is not proper “this is the only Ministry meant to handle employment creation and empowerment for employers of labour and so any opportunities and programmes for employment and empowerment must be rooted through the Ministry for proper documentation” he stressed.
The Commissioner, said that such programmes unilaterally handled by the companies do not give recognition to the indigenes. He enjoined the ITF to use selective participatory measure to ensure that all the Local Government Areas in the State have equal representation. The Permanent secretary in the Ministry Mrs. Comfort M. Iragunima said that she welcomed any ideas that would further expose the unemployed to professionalism and skills. Earlier, the Area Manager ITF Port Harcourt Office, Mr. Abadal Rasaq Adeniran said that the Federal Government in collaboration with the ITF will train and create 3.5 million jobs nationwide by 2015.
The Area Manager said that they were in the Ministry to collaborate with the State to train and empower 1,000 unemployed persons in the State in microfinance, ICT, fish Farming and tiling. He therefore appealed to the State Government to provide venue for the programme which would be flogged off on the 3rd of September, 2013”.
Mr. Adeniran added adding that they were in the State to commence the first phase of the training programme, nationwide and it is expected to terminate by December, 2013.
