Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt
The Minister of Transportation,Rt Hon. Rotimi Amaechi said the employment of 774,000 unemployed youths across the 774 local government areas in the country by the Muhammadu Buhari led administration through the Special Public Works(SPW) of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) will not only transform the lives of the teaming unemployed Nigerian youths,but it is a deliberate effort to get them out of the labour market.
The Transportation Minister who was represented by Chief Victor Giadom stated this in Port Harcourt via a visual address at the flag-off of the Extended Special Public Works Programme in Rivers State, explained that the programme will provide employment for 23,000 people in Rivers State and 774,000 across the country.
The Minister while assuring his commitment and support for the sustenance of the programme,commended the Minister of State,Labour and Employment,Chief Festus Keyamo who is also the Chairman of NDE Board and the Supervising Minister of the programme, reiterated the effort of the present administration for job creation, saying that it will redouble the economic base of every sector in the society.
He added that the equipment for the programme will be distributed to the 23 local government areas in the State, appealing to the 23,000 beneficiaries of the programme to be serious with their jobs.
In his address, the Acting Director General (DG) of National Directorate of Employment (NDE),Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo said the programme is a very significant step in Nigeria’s quest to win the war against mass unemployment,as well as to ameliorate the effect of COVID-19 Pandemic. He said that NDE as an apex job creation agency of the Federal Government for the past three decades will remain in the forefront in the fight against poverty and joblessness in the present administration.
Mallam Nuhu who was represented by the Director, Small Scheme Enterpreneur Department, NDE, Abuja, Mrs Olaomi Roseline Silvia thanked the Minister of State,Labour and Employment and the NDE Board Chairman,Chief Festus Keyamo and assured President Buhari and indeed the people of Rivers State that NDE will deliver the target.
The DG noted that the Extended Special Public Works(SPW) programme has been designed as a veritable tool through which the lives of 23,000 unemployed Rivers people will be positively touched in the next three months.
He emphasized that communities will receive a face-lift through the activities of the beneficiaries of the beneficiaries, as they will be engaging in various community environmental duties through Specific Public Works, ranging from drainage clearing and maintenance, vegetation control, feeder roads maintenance, irrigation and great green wall,among others. He pointed out that NDE will not relent in ensuring proper implementation of the programme and urged the beneficiaries to be effective.
Earlier the Chairman of the Rivers State Selection Committee of the Programme,Dr Innocent Barikor described the 23,000 workers of the Federal Government in the State as a step to boost the State economy, assuring President Buhari that the people of Rivers State will continue to support the programme.
Dr Barikor who called on the participants to make positive use of the exercise, appealed to the President to entend the tenure of the Programme to accommodate others who are not favoured in the first batch.
In their goodwill messages, the Nigerian Ambassador to Jamaica, Her Excellency, Dame Maureen Tamuno, Senator Andrew Uchendu and the Vice Chancellor of University of Port Harcourt,Prof Stephen Okodudu commended the President and NDE for putting the SPW Programme together as part of efforts in reducing youth restiveness.
Also speaking, His Royal Highness,King (Amb) Appolus Chu, the Oneh Eh Nchia of Eleme Kingdom in Rivers State, said the Federal Government’s decision on the SPW is a boost to assist the traditional rulers in the country in addressing youth restiveness in the rural areas.
In his remarks, the Rivers State NDE Coordinator and Secretary of the State Selection Committee,Mr Felix Kpegasi thanked the President for the opportunity to impact on the youths and their relatives, promising that NDE will on its part continue to monitor and supervise them day-to-day.
Speaking on behalf of the 23,000 beneficiaries, Mrs Sambo Adokiye thanked President Buhari, the Ministers and NDE for the programme, promising that they will not disappoint them.
Highlights of the event were presentation of equipment to Representatives of the 23 local government areas in the State,as well as a demonstration at the project site.