No less than 1,638 kwarans have been enrolled into a year voluntary Social Works scheme, an initiative of the World Bank and Kwara state Government to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic among the less privileged in the state.
The beneficiaries are selected across the 16 Local Government Areas of the State.
The beneficiaries who were sensitized for a period of one month were on Friday 31st of July opened Bank account for during a final orientation training at the headquarters of Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state, Ilorin, kwara state.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq who was represented at the event by the Commissioner of Environment, Mrs Remilekun Banigbe advised the the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the opportunity and uplift their financial status.
Counseling the beneficiaries, Governor AbdulRazaq said “I want to advise all the beneficiaries to ensure that you fully utilize the benefits of this programme which aimed at lifting you out of your present insolvent state, you can do this by indulge in contributory savings among yourselves. This will enable you find something to fall back on after the expiration in the next one year”.
The programme codenamed ‘NG-CARES’ is a initiative of the World Bank supported Programme in partnership with the Kwara State Government, designed to provide immediate employment opportunity in social sectors to mitigate the effect of Covid-19 Pandemic especially on the poorest of the poor households in the State in particular and Nigeria in general within two years.
Governor AbdulRazaq also admonished the people in charge of the programme to ensure that 1,638 kwarans are registered in the scheme.
I want to admonish the staff of Labour Intensive Public Workfare, LIPW, not to leave any stone unturned by enrolling the maximum 1,638 beneficiaries in the scheme. It is by so doing that the poor and vulnerable youths in the state will be availed the full opportunities and benefits derivable from the impactful programme”
Earlier in his welcome address, the Technical Head of the programme, Alhaji Shamsideen Aregbe disclosed that the scheme was designed to provide relief for vulnerable people, to mitigate effect of COVID-19 pandemic.
“This Labour Intensive Public Workfare Programme, LIPW, scheme under the auspices of the Nigerian COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus, NG-CARES, programme is designed to provide immediate employment opportunity in Social sectors, to address the emergency constraints of loss of labour income among poor and vulnerable households as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic”
Added that the scheme is targeted at poor and vulnerable households of ages between 18 and 50 years, with educational qualification of Senior Secondary Certificate and below, disclosed that today is grand finale of a month long tour of the 16 LGAs in the state.
Aregbe added that the beneficiaries, are expected, among others, to clean and maintain public institutions and utilities, garbage and refuse collection and waste disposal, traffic control and repair of primary health centres, adding that they are to work within their immediate communities for four hours daily and 20 days in a month.
As compensation in return “each beneficiary would be paid the sum of N10, 000 monthly stipends for 12 calendar months after which another batch of 1, 638 new beneficiaries would be absorbed for one year again during which the scheme is expected to come to an end” he said. Pictures below:
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