The House of Representatives during its plenary session on Wednesday, 24 February, 2021 urged Federal Ministries, Departments, Agencies and the Private sectors to lift the embargo placed on employment in order to reduce the effects of Covid -19 pandemic in the Country.
It will be recalled that during the budget presentation in October 2019, the President announced the placement of embargo on recruitment in Federal Ministries, Department and Agencies and recently maintained his stand on the embargo.
Hon. Sani Bala who moved the motion noted that as a result of the pandemic, the Nigeria Bureau of Statistic put unemployment rate at 27.1% in the second quarter of 2020 and according to World Bank, 5million Nigerians are said to be facing poverty as a result of Covid-19 pandemic.
The House is worried by the rate of unemployment in Nigeria which has shown that most agile working class population in the Country are unemployed and the dire consequences in the society at this critical period include poverty, crime and social vices which is already evident in various parts of the Country as the effects of the pandemic bite harder.
The House therefore urged the Federal Government to lift the embargo placed on unemployment by directing the Head of service of the Federation to declare existing vacancies and direct Federal Civil Service to embark on recruitment exercise.
The lawmakers also urged the Private sectors to fill existing vacancies so as to reduce unemployment rate in the Country.
Olalere Taiwo : For Head of press
Office of the Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters
