Okezie Ikpeazu, the governor of Abia State has enjoined the beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s extended Special Public Works (SPW) programme (the 774,000 jobs) to utilize the opportunities offered by the scheme to advance their lives.
At the official flag-off of the programme at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia, Governor Ikpeazu, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chris Ezem said, his administration was always mindful of the welfare of the citizens, which prompted the Aba Industrial cluster.
He lauded the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for extending the programme to all the states of the federation, of which Abia benefitted 17 thousand slots.
Flagging off the programme, Festus Keyamo, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, board chairman and supervising minister of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) represented by Kelechi Ekugo the chief of staff to the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Uche Ogah said, the programme was an outcome of the pilot special public works programme in the rural area approved by the President and implemented by the NDE in the early part of 2020.
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“The Extended Special Public Works programme is also aimed at shielding the most vulnerable from the ravaging effects of COVID-19 pandemic which include, but are not limited to pervasive hunger, poverty environmental degradation and joblessness. The need to quickly address the above mentioned informed the decision to implement the ESPW.
Our target is to immediately engage the 774,000 selected unemployed Nigerians for the programme to execute carefully selected projects across the 774 local government areas in the country,” the minister said.
Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, the NDE acting Director-general, who was represented by the Abia State coordinator, Chijioke Uzoatuegwu charged all the participants nationwide to reciprocate the gesture of President Muhammadu Buhari led government by diligently executing their assigned tasks throughout the duration of the programme. He said the flag off marked the actualisation of the single most far-reaching grassroots-based employment creation initiative in the history of the country.
He said the ESPW programme has been designed as a veritable tool through which the lives of 774,000 unemployed Nigerians will be positively touched in the next three months. “Our communities will receive a facelift through the activities of the participants as they will engage in various community/ environment-specific public works activities ranging from, drainage clearing and maintenance, vegetation control, feeder roads maintenance, irrigation among many others,” he added.
He further said that appropriate working tools, as well as protective wears, have been provided for all the participants in their daily work schedule. Equally, all participants have been duly documented and their details captured by designated banks to guarantee a fraud-free, transparent and fair service delivery. And to ensure effective monitoring of the programme, supervisors have been appointed in all the electoral wards of the country to conduct supervisory roles.
