Lalong flag-off 17,000 public works, charges beneficiaries to be dedicated

Plateau State Governor and Chairman Northern Governors Forum Barr Simon Lalong has charged the 17,000 Youths and women selected to participate in Federal Government Special Public Works Programme in the rural areas across the 17 Local Government of the State to put in their best in the assignment and ensure that they work with dedication, diligence and honesty.

Lalong made the charge during the official flag-off of special Public works progamme held at the Township Primary school Jos on Friday.

The Governor represented by his Commissioner for Environment Hon. Usman Yakubu Idi urged the participants to see the engagement as a call to national service and an opportunity for them to put your skills and talents to work.

“Without doubt, this is a great initiative that further demonstrates the determination of the APC-led Federal Government as well as the APC controlled States to tackle headlong the challenge of unemployment in the country.

He said President Buhari approved that the initiative be carried out as a way of creating massive jobs at the lowest tier of the economy by maintaining critical public and social infrastructure at the rural base of the economy.

“I have been made to understand that the programme is designed to mitigate lack of job opportunities in the rural areas through a short-term engagement of One thousand unemployed persons per Local Government Area for a period of three months.

“As a government, we have remained committed to creating job opportunities for our youths through training in various skills by the Plateau Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (PLASMIDA) which has equipped thousands with various skills.

“Apart from this, we have also ensured that those who are trained also receive starter packs to start businesses. Many have made us proud by establishing ventures that are thriving as they not only have jobs, but are employing others.

Chairman Plateau State selection committee and Former Secretary to the Plateau State Government Hon. Rufus Bature said laudable programme is designed for the rehabilitation and maintenance of public and social infrastructure.

He added that the participants who are to be paid a monthly allowance have been recruited largely from the pool of skilled and unskilled persons resident in the rural areas of all across the 17 local governments Areas of the State.

Bature noted that the programme is an initiative of the government because of its passion to take youths out of poverty and the programmes is for three months where participants will benefits N20,000 each month.

He urged the Participants to do their best so that they may be retained based on hard work and dedication.

Minister of Women Affairs Hon. Dame Pauline Tallen represented by her Special Adviser Hon. Bala Mohammed commended the effort of President Mohammadu Buhari administration for creating jobs opportunities for youths and women.

Tallen said the youths and women have been specially considered for the Special Public Works Programme in the Rural Areas which is to elevate poverty.

The Acting Director-General National Directorate Employment (NDE) Mallam Abubakar Nuhu said the NDE is to implement the 774,000 jobs under an expanded special Public works progamme in all the 774,000 local government areas Nationwide.