Oyo governor flags off FG’s extended Special Public Works programme

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has flagged-off the Federal Government’s Extended Special Public Works (ESPW) programme in the State, describing the programme as a direct solution to unemployment and hunger.

The Governor, who said the policy was a step in the right direction, also enjoined the beneficiaries to give their best in the discharge of their duties to encourage the government to do more for more people.

Governor Makinde said this on Tuesday, through his Deputy, Rauf Olaniyan, while flagging off of the ESPW programme in the State at an event held at the Akinyele Local Government Area Secretariat, Moniya, Ibadan.

He said, “This policy, to us in Oyo State, is a step in the right direction. When we see a laudable project in Oyo State, we do appreciate. I am very optimistic about the programme because it is a direct attack on unemployment and hunger. So you will agree with me that this programme is actually complementing the effort of the State government in bringing the unemployment in the State to a minimum level.”

While recounting the various efforts of the State government at tackling the challenge of unemployment in the State, Makinde urged the 33,000 beneficiaries from the State to make good use of the opportunity, so as to encourage the Federal Government to increase the slot for more in subsequent opportunities.

He said the state government would soon give letters of appointment to 5,000 teachers and over 2,000 non-teaching staff, as permanent workers in the service of the State, adding that new medical personnel would soon be offered letters of appointment too, apart from some lawyers that have been recruited as State counsel, all aimed at reducing the unemployment rate in the State.

The Governor commended the members of the State Selection Committee for the smooth flag-off of the programme but noted some flaws in the selection process of the committee members.

He said only one slot was given to the State government out of nine, saying the State government should be fully carried along, and urged the Federal Government to correct the lapses in the next phase of the programme.

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo, said the ESPW programme was aimed at shielding the most vulnerable from the ravaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which include but are not limited to, pervasive hunger, poverty, environmental degradation and joblessness.

Keyamo noted that the programme engaged 774,000 selected unemployed Nigerians across the 774 local government areas in the country, explaining that the programme, which would last for three months (January 5 to April 4) would provide the necessary economic palliatives to the mostly unskilled and semi-skilled unemployed youths.

He gave assurance that the Federal Government would closely monitor the implementation of the programme to ascertain the efficient utilisation of every resource, human/materials, committed to the programme.

Also speaking, the Minister of Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare, stated that the engagement of the youths in the initiative, which is a productive venture, is the beginning of a more robust engagement of all youths in national development.

The two ministers were represented at the occasion by Mr Olufemi Ajao.

The Director-General of NDE, Mallam Nuhu Fikpo, whose address was read by the NDE Coordinator in Oyo State, Mrs Olayinka Olayemi, charged every beneficiary of the programme to reciprocate the gesture of the President Mohammadu Buhari-led government by diligently executing their assigned tasks throughout the duration of the programme.

Fikpo also requested Nigerians living within all the benefiting communities to cooperate with the participants and officials as they go about their duties.

The Chairman, State Selection Committee, Mr Ope Salami, implored participants not to consider the value of the monthly remuneration alone but also the capacity and positive value it would add to them in nation-building.

Lateefah Ibrahim