Glory Mfoniso
The Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA) has urged the Federal Government to ensure that economic reforms and development policies reflect the needs and aspirations of Nigerians.
Speaking at the Association’s 1st Quadrennial Delegates Conference in Abuja, CCESSA President, Engineer Ayodeji Adeyemo, said reforms must deliver tangible relief to citizens and not remain mere policy statements. “We in CCESSA are not against any positive reform aimed at repositioning the economy of the country. However, there must be a clear pathway to economic reforms,” he said.
Adeyemo stressed that policies must be inclusive, transparent, and clearly communicated to the public.
“There must be a glaring support of the greater majority of the Nigerian masses, including workers, and there must be a constant evaluation by all stakeholders,” he stated.
He further noted that many construction workers are struggling, adding; “We have lost members due to sicknesses and insecurity. Most construction workers are unable to send their children to school.”
Also speaking, President of the National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Woodworkers, Comrade Stephen Okoro, decried the policy shift to concrete for federal road projects, saying it has hurt companies and reduced union membership.
“Today, for us, we are not comfortable with what is going on,” he said, explaining that the lack of projects has made welfare difficult; “On the area of welfare, where there is no work, talking of welfare will be very difficult, because it is from the work given to construction companies that we derive membership.”
Representing the Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, the Registrar of Trade Unions, Alex Olebe, commended CCESSA’s contributions and urged unions to channel complaints formally.
“The era of banging tables is gone. The Government is improving. So channel your complaints through appropriate quarters, and it will be addressed,” he said.
Chairman of the occasion and President of the Federation of Construction Industries (FOCI), Mr. Vincent Barrah, cited rising costs, inflation, policy inconsistencies, and insecurity as key challenges, emphasising that labour and employers must work as partners to sustain the industry.
“Our shared goal is not merely to win individual battles at the bargaining table; it is to ensure that there remains a table to bargain on,Without a thriving and sustainable construction sector, we will all lose, workers, companies, and the nation alike.” he said.
Barrah reaffirmed FOCI’s commitment to working with CCESSA to navigate current economic challenges and position the Nigerian construction sector for renewed growth.
In a paper presentation, Quantity Surveyor Adewunmi Akinpelu charged CCESSA members to embrace digital technologies and innovative practices to adapt to the future of construction.
He urged leaders to set clear goals that inspire members, stressing: “The only goals that excite and inspire are SMART goals. Executive Members of CCESSA must feel that they are an integral part of the President’s Mission Team.”
