The war against poverty and unemployment received a massive boost in Ekiti State on Thursday as Governor Kayode Fayemi empowered 5,000 youths with N150 million to assist them in accomplishing their dreams in various sectors of the economy.
The youths were members of the Batches A and B of the Ekiti Project Volunteers (EPV) Corps who had been engaged by the state government since July 2011.
The volunteers at a special parade held at Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti, declared their support for Fayemi’s second term in office which they believed would deliver more youths from the scourge of unemployment.
The governor revealed that the number of registered unemployed youths in the state databank is in the excess of 5,000 adding that his administration established the Job Creation and Employment Agency (JCEA) to develop a framework for the engagement of at least 20,000 youths by October 2014.
He explained that the agricultural and tourism potential of the state’s economy are being revolutionized to engage a substantial number of the volunteers.
The governor also disclosed that the Civil Service Commission, Local Government Service Commission, Teaching Service Commission, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and other departments of the public service have been mandated to concede 20 per cent of their recruitments for the Ekiti Project Volunteers.
The state chief executive equally recommended the youth to high net worth individuals, private sector operators, corporate bodies, non-governmental organizations, international organizations for consideration for employment Dr. Fayemi described the creation of Ekiti Volunteers Scheme as “one of the quick-win strategies” distilled by the Job Creation Management with the 5,000 volunteers being the pioneer beneficiaries.
He stated that the beneficiaries of the scheme have been empowered with relevant life skills and other forms of support from the government to contribute positively to the society.
The governor stressed that the global duration of volunteers is two years after which the volunteers are exited into the larger society so as not to place them in a perpetual state of dependency.
In his address, the Director General of the JCEA, Mr. Folorunso Aluko, disclosed that a total number of 12,606 youths have been taken off the streets and positively engaged by the Fayemi administration in one productive venture or the other since its inception.
Apart from the 5,000 selected for the volunteer corps, Aluko revealed that 300 have been employed into the Ekiti State Traffic Management Agency (EKSTMA), 1500 employed through the Youth Commercial Agriculture Development (YCAD), 166 employed through the State Fire Service, 1500 in Waste Management Agency while 3500 others were engaged in skills acquisition and vocation programmes.
A member of the volunteer corps, Ajoke Ogunsina, commended Fayemi for initiating the volunteer corps scheme in which they had been collecting N10,000 allowances monthly since July 2011.
The scheme, according to Ogunsina, has transformed the lives of the beneficiaries many of whom have secured permanent jobs within and outside the state.
She said the entrepreneurial skills imbibed through the scheme have empowered them with a substantial number of them setting up their personal businesses.
Describing Fayemi as a “blessing to his generation”, Ogunsina prayed for the success of the Governor in his desire for second term in office to transform the lives of more youths in the state.
The event which featured cultural display, march past and presentation of certificates to the volunteers was witnessed by the Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Ganiyu Owolabi, members of the state executive council and traditional rulers.
