The Governor of Edo state, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has ordered
the employment of 4,200 youths across the state, under the Edo state public
works programme, from July 1 this year.
In a statement endorsed by the governor’s Chief of Staff, it
was also revealed that Governor Obaseki had directed the engagement and
training of 50 civil engineers to supervise the public works programme, and
that the successful applicants were sourced from the database of unemployed
youths developed by the government for the Edo Jobs initiative.
According to the Chief of Staff, “The new employed beneficiaries will work
across the state on 45 inner roads selected under this special window. The
governor also promised to engage another set of 4,200 in August 2017 under
another window that will see the state government constructing and maintaining
another set of 55 roads, culminating in almost 100 kilometres across the
state.”
He further enjoined the workers to be dedicated for the
period of their engagement with the state government, as it would eventually
amount to experience gathering and capacity building.
Meanwhile, to complement jobs originating from road
construction, the state government also finalised arrangements to train young
electrical and electronic engineers under a special arrangement with Benin
Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC).
The programme, it disclosed , would build the capacity of
young men and women on the practical side of electrical engineering in line
with the ‘Electrify Edo project’, which kicked off with the signing of a power
purchase agreement between the government and, at different times, Siemens AG
and Ossiomo Power limited, few months ago.
By Yemi Itodo
