NAN-H-49
Employment
By Chinyere Bassey & Chinedu Nmegwa
Lagos, Sept. 22, 2016 (NAN) Forty five of 500 job seekers were on Thursday employed as artisans by the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), Iganmu station, presently handling the construction of the light rail.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Wednesday, the CCECC, handling the light rail project sponsored by the Lagos State Government, advertised vacancies for artisans.
The job seekers told NAN, in separate interviews, that they reported for the recruitment as early as 5:30 a.m.
An applicant, Mr Donald God’slove, said that he got to the station two hours earlier.
“I came because I have to sustain myself and my family.
“My family looked up to me and I prayed that I would be selected so that I would be able to assist my family,’’ God’slove said.
Another applicant, Mr Chuks Idighie, said that he was not selected because he came late.
“They just informed their workers about the vacancies and the workers passed the information to their own people.’’ Idighie said.
A construction worker with the company Mr Idowu Kazeem, told NAN that the vacancies were limited, adding that applicants who did not meet the requirements, were not selected.
“The managers of the company picked few applicants.
“We had earlier picked 20 welders, 10 labourers and 15 iron benders but I am not sure we can absorb more people,’’ he said.
Mr Steve Ogbo, one of the successful applicants, expressed joy that the company selected him out of the crowd that came for the interview.
“This will lift the heavy burden off me temporarily until I get a better job.
“The pay is not enough, but I can manage,’’ Ogbo said.
NAN reports that the rail line is a project of the Lagos State Metropolitan Transport Authority (LAMATA).
The first phase of the project runs from Okokomaiko in Ojo Local Government Area to Marina, Lagos Island. (NAN)
CHIN/NCJ/AIB/AJA
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(Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde and controlled by Adeleye Ajayi)