From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
An Edo based human rights activist, Patrick Eholor, yesterday, said the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo was not fair enough to the Nigerian graduates across the states on his projection of payment of N20,000 monthly stipend as part of the federal government Special Work Programme.
The programme will employ 1000 persons across the 774 LGA and will be given N20,000 for three months.
He expressed his resentment while fielding questions from newsmen in Benin City.
“The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo said N46 billion has been budgeted to provide certain jobs for 774 Local Government Areas across Nigeria.
” In their projection, they will be paying graduates and masters degree holder N20, 000 when they know that the minimum wage is N30, 000. Literally, they will be giving a graduate N60,000 within three months which is less than $200″, he said.
Eholor said the disbursement of such money to them will not address the issue of unemployment in the country, adding that the best option is for the federal government to use the money in creating industries in the various regions to absorb the teeming unemployed youth in the country.
“My solution to this is that the government should take the money to build a factory in each four regions, including North, South, West and East.
“It will be a local content factory and they can employ people; I think that make more sense”, he said.