By Oscarline Onwuemenyi
ABUJA—The Federal Government has  ordered the closure of sections of the Chinese construction giant, Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) in Abuja over poor health safety regulations.

A statement by the Assistant Director of Press, Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Mr. Samuel Olowookere, said the closure was as a result of the Federal Government’s effort to ensure the safety and health protection of workers in the country.

It noted that the Ministry through its Inspectorate Department carried out inspection of two companies, Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) and Julius Berger located within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the statement, “the Inspectors led by the Director, Inspectorate Department, Mr. Paul Okwulehie, stormed the two construction companies recently to enforce the provisions of the Factory Act, Cap 126 LFN.

“The director frowned at the lack of protective equipment for workers, especially at the Carpentry Unit of CCECC and subsequently ordered the closure of the carpentry unit pending when the observed safety anomalies are corrected.”

It added that the director used the opportunity to warn other defaulting companies to ensure the protection of their workers or face prohibition or prosecution.

The statement noted that similar inspections of all workplaces across the country have been planned. The director used the opportunity to warn all employees, especially those in the construction industry to heed the deadline of December 8, 2010 to halt the transportation of workers in cattle coaches.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, has advocated an increase in the rate of tax on ostentatious goods and lifestyle as a way of mobilizing more funds for social protection schemes.

While noting government’s readiness to build upon the recommendations of the Gen. Yakubu Gowon led panel on Social Security Policy for Nigeria, Wogu cited golf and polo accessories, tobacco, champagne among other ostentatious habits that could provide more tax to advance the country’s social security system.

Wogu spoke while giving the country’s position at the second African Decent Work Symposium which ended in Yaounde, Cameroon at the weekend.

Noting the financing and governance challenges faced by Nigeria and other African nations in the effort towards raising the social protection floor, Wogu said that it would be worthwhile to mobiles more funds for social security by raising taxes on ostentatious lifestyles and luxury goods some of which he said were relatively under-taxed.

“There is the need for us in Africa to mobilize more funds for social protection by raising the taxes on ostentatious lifestyles and goods such as golfing items, polo items, champagne, cigarette among others,” Wogu who was the head of the Nigerian delegation spoke amidst applause from delegates.

Noting that Africa’s growth potentials could best be harnessed from within, he said that the recent global economic recession had shown that developmental partners would look back towards their home countries at the first sign of economic trouble.

”The responsibility of charting Africa’s development lies squarely on Africa. Developmental partners can only support us. This is more so in the current challenging fiscal context, where foreign partners are facing economic challenges of their own,” he said.

Giving the Federal Government’s determination to build on the recommendations of the Gen. Gowon led panel on social security, he said, “Nigeria’s Decent Work Programme II is also being formulated to cover the period 2011 – 2014 with the priority areas being national investments, policies and programmes leading to employment, productivity, wealth creation, enhancing and extending the scope of social protection,” the Minister said.

“These priority areas were identified to ensure employment and wealth creation, social protection and capacity building of the stakeholders that are involved in employment generation,” Wogu added.