Date Published: 03/30/10

Sylva lifts employment embargo in Baylesa to foil insurgency

IN a seeming desperate move to shore up its popularity rating rating which sources say is currently low, the Timipre Sylva administration has lifted the employment embargo in Bayelsa State, one of the rich oil and gas states of Nigeria.

By this gesture, government is aiming to recruit most of qualified youths in a bid to halt their being recruited as militants or politicaL army in the coming election year.

Sources within the administration circles however, told AkanimoReports on Tuesday that government lifted the embargo on employment as part of a comprehensive economic stimulus package announced by the state Governor, Timipre Sylva.

Sylva who spoke at the inauguration of the Bayelsa State Stimulus Implementation Committee, (BSSIC), explained that with the impact and attendant challenges of the global economic downspin, it has become imperative to re-examine the structure of state’s economy and implement long- lasting strategies to  cushion its  effect  on the citizens.

Noting that employment generation was a veritable tool for poverty alleviation, he promised that government would create 10,000 jobs in the next 12 months.

The stimulus package, Sylva noted, would involve some quick-win projects, which would gulp about N6.4  billion naira pointing out that this has been duly provided for in the 2010 budget.

According to the Governor, the stimulus package will focus on business promotion through micro-credit scheme, for which N1 billion has been earmarked and food security that is expected gulp another N1 billion.

The Governor further disclosed that the sum of N3 billion has been set aside for civil servants welfare scheme just as N1.5billion has been ear-marked of the post-amnesty capacity-building program expected to train some 5,000 youths in various skills.

The governor noted that, the stimulus package when implemented is expected to appreciably alleviate poverty and empower Bayelsans.

The committee, which is headed by the Commissioner of Finance and Budget, Dr. Silva Opuala-Charles, is expected to look into the details of the stimulus package and work out clear guidelines on how government would alleviate the plight of the people.

The commissioner assured that the committee would do its best to implement the package to the overall benefit of the citizens.

Opuala-Charles commended Sylva for putting in place the action plan aimed at empowering the people, noting that the package is indicative that government is sensitive to the problem of Bayelsans.

He said under the stimulus package, 2,000 quick-win projects are expected to be executed across that state.