By Seun Ayinde, Abeokuta
Ogun state government is to get about N1.2billion in three months to revived its local economy following the flagged off of the federal government’s 774,000 jobs in Abeokuta, the state capital, yesterday.
The minister of Mines and Steel Development, Eng. Olamilakan Adegbite said that N400 million would be paid monthly to the state for the beneficiaries of the scheme which totalled N 1.2b within the three months period of the jobs.
Adegbite said that the money would have huge impact on the local economy of the state within the three months in order to cushion the effect COVID-19 pandemic and its lockdown on the people of the state
The minister said that the purpose of the programme was to provide the necessary economic palliatives to the 20,000 unemployed youths selected across the 20 local governments of the state.
He said: “Through this programme, about N 400 million will go into the economy of Ogun state every month for the next three months and that’s about N 1.2 billion. That will mean a great impact on the local economy.
“President Muhammad Buhari, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic though of the best way to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown and series of programmes were put in place. This is just one of the programmes put in place to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.” he added
The state governor, Dapo Abiodun, said that the programme would compliment his government plans on job creation and would reduce unemployed rate to the barest minimum in the state.
Abiodun, who was represented by his Deputy, Eng. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, noted that he had put in place machinery to ensure proper monitoring and evaluation of the programme.
“We have a team in place which has been working to make sure that the monitoring and evaluation is in place. It’s very important for our people to participate and participate well. We will try our best to make sure that our citizens do things well.
“This programme compliments our own job creation programme in Ogun state and as we all know, Youth employment as part of the agenda of our governor.
“We have beneficiaries, one thousand per Local Government. This programme complements our own job creation programme in Ogun state and as we all know, Youth employment as part of the agenda of our governor,” he said