By David G. Kyain, Gombe
No fewer than 11,000 youths in Gombe State will benefit from an extended special public works programme from the federal government.
Chairperson of the programme Mrs. Abigail Albashi made the disclosure while inaugurating the committee members on Monday.
Mrs Albashi while inaugurating the committee members said the special works programme was designed to mitigate against the lack of job opportunities in rural and sub urban areas through a short term engagement of 1,000 unemployed persons per Local Government Area for period of three months.
She explained that out of the number that will benefit the gesture, are 1000 person per local government.
The chairperson said the beneficiaries of the programme would be receiving N20,000 allowance monthly.
According to her, the participants would be engaged in active community related services that are peculiar to their local governments such as drainage digging and clearance, irrigation canals clearing, rural feeder road maintenance and traffic control.
Others were street cleaning, cleaning of public infrastructure like health centre schools and the likes.
She said each local government need to tailor its programme to meet the needs of the area and expectation.
Albashi further said, the programme will begins on 1st October, and ends in December.
She said the programme may be extended every year but it depends on how successful it was implemented and how buoyant the Federal Government purse is.
She charged the committee members to to ensure that the task is taken seriously with patriotism.
Our correspondent reports that apart from the main committee, five sub committee were inaugurated to ensure smooth and faster implementation of the programme.
The committees were as follows government/liason, traditional institution, information and publicity, women and civil society.
In his remark special guest of honor Governor Inuwa Yahaya charged the committee members to exhibit high level of transparency and integrity while carrying out the assignment.
Represented by Commissioner of Youth and Sport, Julius Ishaya said the state government is aware of the level of unemployment in the state and the ravaging effect of COVID-19 in the state adding the programme is timely.
He further expressed confidence in the committee members following the calibare of persons nominated as members.
