By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja
The Federal government Special Public Works(SPW) has kicked-off in Kogi State with 21,000 participants.
The Reporters reports that SPW is in fulfilment of the promise President Muhammadu Buhari made to Nigerians during his electioneering campaign, that if re-elected for second term, he would provide employment for the people.
The president,therefore, set up the programme through the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to enable the participants engage in various public works with each participant earning N20,000 per month for three months.
Flagging off the programme in Lokoja on Saturday, the Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, commended the Federal Government for introducing the programme, involving 774,000 Nigerians across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.
According to Bello, the reality of the programme in the country demonstrates the strong passion the President has for the nation’s youths and his decision to make ordinary Nigerians feel government’s impact in every little way.
The Governor urged beneficiaries in the state to take advantage of the opportunity afforded them by the programme by improving themselves, through skills acquisition to be self sufficient and self reliant.
Bello, who said that his administration was passionate about the same thing, restated his commitment to support the President in any way that would make life meaningful for the people of the country.
He paid special tribute to the Attah Igala, Michael Ameh Oboni II, who joined his ancestors few months ago and who was a member of the state selection committee of the programme.
The Governor, who observed a minute silence in his honour of the late monarch,prayed for the peaceful repose of his soul.
The Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hajiya Ramatu Tijani also lauded the initiative by the Buhari administration, describing it as a step taken to address biting unemployment and poverty in the country with a call on the citizens to take up skills that would make them self employed.
The Acting Director-General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, described the programme as a very significant step in Nigeria’s quest to win the war against mass unemployment.
“As the apex job creation agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria, NDE,in the last three decades, has remained in the fore front in the fight against poverty and joblessness,” he said.
