Recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians for special works programmes yet to start – FG

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*Keyamo

The federal government has described as “fake” a website calling for applications for the employment of 774,000 Nigerians across the country as part of the special public works programme of the government.

The minister of state for labour and employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo, who stated this in a press release, said the recruitment was yet to start.

He said the modalities for recruitment were yet to worked out adding that the public would be duly informed “by this office when all the modalities have been graciously approved by Mr. President

“We are also informed of instructions by certain persons going round in some states to the effect that names of those to be employed under the programme should be compiled.

“We also urge these people not to embark on an exercise in futility as the guidelines for such recruitment and those to be involved have not been released by the agency,” he said.

The statement: “My attention has been drawn to a certain advertorial circulating on social media tilted ‘Application opens for 774,000 employment by FG: See requirements, salary and how to apply’.

“The advertorial goes ahead to state stipends and commissions, requirements, how to apply, closing date, etc.

“As the supervising minister over the National Directorate of Employment in which the special public works programme of the federal government is domiciled, and having conferred with the director general, Dr. Nasiru Ladan Mohammed Argungu, we wish to alert members of the public that the said advertorial or anything of such presently circulating is fake and should be disregarded.

“I have just finished consultation with the Hon. Minister of Finance and we are presently working out how the scope of the program would be expanded and executed with other relevant ministries and stakeholders across the country.

“The public would be duly informed by this office when all the modalities have been graciously approved by Mr. President.

“We are also informed of instructions by certain persons going round in some states to the effect that names of those to be employed under the programme should be compiled. We also urge these people not to embark on an exercise in futility as the guidelines for such recruitment and those to be involved have not been released by the agency.

“Finally, we assure all that this well-intentioned programme of the federal government would be carefully planned and executed in such a way as to meet its target of empowering the largely unskilled labour in rural areas.”

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had on April 6, approved the engagement of 774, 000 Nigerians on special public works programme in the country in a bid to tackle the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The minister of finance, budget and national planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, who announced the initiative at a press conference on fiscal stimulus measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic stated that 1, 000 people would be recruited from each of the 774 local government areas in the country.

She also said N60 billion had been earmarked from the COVID-19 crisis intervention fund as allowances and operational costs for the initiative.

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