Business
‘FG Creates 193,469 Jobs In Works, Housing Ministry’
The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has created 193, 469 jobs, with 40,429 direct and 153,040 indirect jobs, within the two years of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
The Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola disclosed this in Abuja at the Town Hall Meeting to celebrate the mid-term of President Buhari’s implementation of the economy recovery and road plan.
According to him, the construction of roads, power project, housing project and macro impact on jobs is gradually increasing the purchasing power and money in the economy.
In his accounts, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi said that the ministry has been able to save N53 billion from the shipbuilding fund and through the rebranding of NIMASA.
“We believed that more fund can be gotten for the government, from the maritime sector and the president has approved a performance audit of the maritime sector.
“Part of the problem of the maritime is the fact that we have had issues with insecurity on our waterways and the president has approved a new security infrastructure that will reduce piracy, robbery in that sector.
“They were so many faculties of the maritime in universities when we came, we went about rebranding it and stop that contract award, that money was gotten from the ship `building fund, that fund are meant for Nigerians who built ship
“Maritime transportation are the one to access the fund to buy more vessels, we kept that money, we are saving it now, the last we had about it, we had saved N53 billion,’’ he said.
According to him, there is the need to save the country from corruption.
Amaechi said that the ministry would introduce the single window which is between Nigerian Customs and Nigeria Ports Authority to move goods within 48 hours.
He said that the ministry has awarded three contracts which are Lagos – Ibadan rail, Kano – Kaduna rail and Port Harcourt – Calabar, which were based on the loan collected from the China EXIM bank.
The minister stated that China EXIM bank has approved $1.2 billion dollars, while the Federal Government has released its own counterpart funding for Lagos – Ibadan rail, which be completed in December 2018.
Amaechi stated that work has started on Itakpe-Warri rail but the N60 billion allocated for the project was removed by the National Assembly, stating that if that was resolved, the work would be completed.
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.