ESPWP: 1,000 youths to earn N60m salary in Oshodi-Isolo
By Edith Igokwe, Damilola Kushimo and Olushola Okewole
A sum of N60 million would be given to 1,000 youths in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area (LGA) as salaries for engaging in public works such as street sweeping, traffic control, market fumigation under the Federal Government’s Expanded Special Public Works Programme (ESPWP).The LGA includes Isolo and Ejigbo local council development areas.
The money is to be released to each of the 774 local government areas across the country by the federal government.
Just like the previous empowerment programmes, it is another scheme by the federal government to create transient jobs for the 774,000 youths for three months to support reduce poverty.
The government has earlier created such financial empowerment programmes for the youths and the traders which include N-Power, Tradermoni, National Social Investments Programmes (NSIP), Covid-19 Conditional Cash Transfer Program (CCT), and now the Extended Special Public Works Programme (ESPWP) in which youths would be engaged in public works and paid N20,000 each for three months.
The Expanded Special Public Works Programme (ESPWP) was set up by the Federal Government to provide poverty and income relief by creating temporary work opportunities for the unskilled, unemployed, poor and vulnerable (including the disabled).
The job is expected to run for three months starting from October till December this year.
The programme is not entirely new to Nigeria as the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in collaboration with International Labour Organisation (ILO) first introduced it in the mid 90s. The ILO itself derived the idea of Special Public Works programme from several historical templates.
The pilot programme was designed to mitigate lack of job opportunities in the rural through a short-term engagement of 1,000 unemployed persons per Local Government Area (LGA) for a period of three months. It is a dry season/off season transient job programme and was originally designed for the rehabilitation/maintenance of public and social infrastructures.
To register for the programme, 1,000 forms were given to Oshodi-Isolo LG last week which were shared between the local government and its two Local Council Development Areas – Isolo and Ejigbo LCDAs.
The distribution was even without putting the population of each area into consideration as each local government received equal number of the forms.
The local council authorities did not veto the distribution of the forms either.
Oshodi-Isolo LG received a total number of 170 forms representing 17 per cent of the total forms which were shared among the heads of the sectors, departments, groups and associations for onward distribution to the youths in their various constituencies.
For instance, out of the 170 forms, the Executive Chairman received two, the Vice Chairman was given five, SLG got three, the Executive Exco got 20, the council leader received three while others such as associations, religious bodies, market leaders, etc., were given their own proportions for distribution among their members.
Similar distribution method was used in Isolo and Ejigbo LCDAs which obtained 168 (16.8 per cent) and 170 (17 per cent) forms each.
The total number of forms received by the LG and the two LCDAs is 508 – 50.8 per cent of the total 1,000 forms supposed to be given to the local government area.
Meanwhile, ECHONEWS gathered that the remaining 492 (49.2 per cent) forms were shared among the stakeholders such as the lawmakers representing the two constituencies in the local government area, the monarchs and others.
Speaking on the distribution of the forms in the local government area, the chairman of Oshodi-Isolo LG, Hon. Bolaji Muse Ariyoh said the method was deployed to ensure accountability and transparency.
“The forms were distributed across various existing groups and associations within the council area,” he noted.
Also commenting on the scheme, the APC Youth Leader, Ejigbo LCDA, Hon. Jide Ogunmefun, said the programme is one of the best that would be executed by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, adding that the development will enhance the productivity of the youths who will benefit from the scheme and as well serve as relief for the yet-to-be employed youths.
He commended the Ejigbo council chairman, Hon. Monsuru Bello (Obe), the member of Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Ganiyu Johnson and all the six councillors in Ejigbo LCDA.
