Yakubu Busari
At least no fewer than 17,000 unemployed persons are to benefit from Plateau State chapter of the National Directorate of Employment, NDE, projects of 774, 000 Special Public Works (SPW) jobs of the federal Government intervention program which commence on January 7th at Township primary school in Jos North Local Government Area.
The Chairman selection Committee, Plateau State chapter, Hon Rufus Bature in his opening remarks disclosed that the program was designed for artisans to do public works for three months for N20, 000 per month selection was satisfactory and that every LGAs would have her own committee.
The Chairman said since the flag-off on Sunday 5th the program had not run into “hiccups” or delay in the state as today mark the commencement earlier announced.
The sacked Ladan, it was gathered, worked with the National Assembly to undermine Keyamo who is the supervising minister following the fallout between the minister and the lawmakers.
“You would recall that the Federal Government announced a new date for the kick-off of the program designed to employ 774, 000 Nigerians in the 774 local government areas and Plateau state government would ensure smooth implementation to its fullest “.
The program kick starts with the distribution of working tools to the selected beneficiaries across the 17 LGAs for onward disbursement across wards and LGs in Plateau state.
Hon Rufus Bature added that he expects the program to go on smoothly with the awareness campaign were each beneficiary is to be pay 20,000 each for 3 months period of the program.
“The program will run from January to March 2021 which is the pure dry season. So, we are ready. All the obstacles have been removed.”
It’s was also gathered that only banks approved by the president would be used for the payment of the participants’ stipends and the six banks – Zenith, Access, Fidelity, FCMB, UBA, and Heritage bank enlisted for the program have successfully opened special accounts and captured the biometrics of successful applicants for the job.
According to him, the applicants will be paid through their bank accounts using their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) to avoid fraud and double payment.
He explained further that “As we go into the field, we need to make a few clarifications. The reason this program was delayed in the last few weeks was that as a minister, who is in charge of the implementation and supervision of this program, we got reports from all over the country that certain unscrupulous persons were generating alternative lists, different from the ones that I approved as a minister and which I directed the implementation in strict compliance with Mr. president’s directives.
“The clear directive of Mr. President to me was that to ensure a fraud-free process, we should ensure that there is a clear audit trail of all payments made to all beneficiaries and as such, we needed to engage selected banks who can share data with us and we needed to open special accountants for all participants in such a way that there will be an audit trail of all payments made through these selected banks.”
The minister was represented by Linda Barau and State Director Mallam Ibrahim Ardo AbdulAzeek both spoke in separate points also said there are no implementation committees anywhere contrary to reports.
He urged Nigerians to disregard such committees, saying the only committees for the program, are the state selection committees which he inaugurated to pick applicants.
“However, what happened was that people began to generate separate lists across the country, using NDE officials at different levels and in clear disobedience of my directives, and in a clear case of insubordination. So we had a problem of potential clash if we had started this program a few weeks ago. There would have been chaos because different people would have come up from different places claiming to be on the lists of the Special Public Works.
“We needed to streamline this process; we needed to have clear authority in respect of the selection process and as such, we have done so now. I want to make it clear that as we go to the field, it is only those persons registered by the banks we selected and whose names were submitted by the state selection committees that will participate in the program and those are the only people to be paid.
“Those who feel they have certain complaints should reach out to us in the ministry and my office. We will take care of them but we don’t want different authorities issuing different directives with respect to this program.
“Now that we are set to start, I want to state clearly that it is only the state selection committees that I authorized as a minister. Under the NDE Act; it is only the minister that can establish committees. No other person can establish committees. Therefore, the existence of certain implementation committees is null and void and they will have nothing to do with this program because I have not approved such implementation committees. No name was brought to me and I didn’t inaugurate such committees.
“The only committees I inaugurated were the state selection committees and those are the committees that are still in existence today and who will supervise this program. This is the only way forward. That is why we have streamlined this program so that we can move forward.
“This directive I have issued in line with Mr. President’s directives, any official found flouting it will face strict disciplinary measures. It is a note of warning we are sounding to everybody who is charged with the duty of implementing this program. Both at the state and local government levels.”
