THE Federal Government has given the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), till the weekend to employ six indigenous engineers on the $1.5bn Lagos-Ibadan Standard gauge rail project.
Berating the Chinese contractor on Thursday for refusing to employ indigenous engineers to understudy its operation on the project, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi wondered why the Chinese are refusing to employ indigenous engineers despite an earlier warning on the issue about two months ago.
According to Rotimi Amaechi, who inspected the Lagos-Ibadan rail project in Ibadan and Abeokuta, “Sometimes around July, I asked that Nigerian engineers be employed on this project to understudy the work being done.
“However, two months after that time, I am surprised that I cannot find any Nigerian engineers understudying you people on the project.
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“I am giving you till this weekend to employ six Nigerian engineers. Between the Ministry of Transportation and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), two engineers with Civil Engineering background will be provided. The CCECC will provide two engineers and TEAM will provide the other two, making six indigenous engineers on this project.
“It’s important that our engineers understudy you on this project to help the country.”
The Honourable Minister of Transportation also urged the CCECC to employ more labour in order to hasten work progress on the project.
and then