Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
Ins pite of opposition from the National Assembly, the Federal Government, yesterday, forged ahead with the Extended Special Public Works (ESPW) programme.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, inaugurated the programme in Ebonyi State.
The programme coordinated by the Ministry of Labour and Employment was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari as a part of the fiscal stimulus measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 1,000 Nigerians from each of the 774 local government areas will be engaged in the programme coordinated by constituted state committees.
But the programme ran into into a storm following a shouting match between Keyamo and joint committee of the National Assembly. The lawmaker slammed a suspension order on the implementation of the programme after Keyamo accused them of plotting to hijack it.
Regardless, the Federal Government has gone ahead with the programme. “The State Selection Committees have been inaugurated and have commenced work,” the Federal Government announced via its Twitter handle.
Inaugurating the Committee in Abakaliki, the minister said the committee members have only three weeks starting from Monday June 29 to conclude everything concerning nomination of beneficiaries for the program. Represented by the Chairman of the Committee in the state, Chief Edward Nkwegu, Keyamo noted that the Federal Government has put all necessary modalities in place for the empowerment of 13,000 indigent workers and youths across the 13 council areas of the state.
Nkwegu explained that 1,000 persons will be recruited per LGA, and engaged by the Federal Government between October and December, 2020, to carry out Public Works that are peculiar to each LGA in the State. “They would be paid a total of N60,000 each (that is N20,000 per month) amounting to N780, 000in three months in Ebonyi State only.
“They would be engaged in road rehabilitation and Social Housing Construction, Urban and Rural Sanitation, Health Extension and other critical services. Depending on how successful the programme is, or how buoyant the Federal Government purse is, this programme may either be extended or repeated every year.