Here's a positive way to frame this: Maybe they hired you because they anticipate ramping up work but due to delays in other sectors of the company the ramping

Here's a positive way to frame this: Maybe they hired you because they anticipate ramping up work but due to delays in other sectors of the company the ramping up is also delayed, but they don't want to fire you because it's not nice and they still anticipate the ramp up to be coming soon. "Once we finish X we'd have lots of work to give to him so let's keep him around".