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Unemployment . . . the Ogun Approach
(This Day (Nigeria) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Since its inception in 2003 the Daniel-led administration has embarked upon a massive recruitment exercise drive in a decisive response to the embargo that had been placed on recruitment by the previous administration. A total of 2,359 university and polytechnic graduates were recruited between 2003 and 2006 into pensionable appointments in the state public service.
Through the introduction of the Voluntary Teachers Corps Scheme, the administration has been able to address employment issues. This scheme is designed to assist in employment of qualified people in the teaching profession a total of 6,000 teachers have been absorbed between 2003 and 2006 to strengthen manpower needs in public secondary schools. A further 500 permanent teachers and 1,500 non-teaching staff have been employed in the public service through the Ogun State Teaching Service Commission. Taken together, more than 10, 000 direct employment into the main stream public service has been effected by the Gbenga Daniel admnistration.
The administration felt that there are still other avenues for employment to be explored. This was done through a philosophy which aims to teach people how to fish and hence become self-sustaining. In order to achieve this objective, the Ogun State Employment Generation Programme (OGEGEP) was established in July 2003.
Today, OGEGEP is one of the flagship programmes of the administration. It was established to address the problem of unemployment in the state especially amongst the youths. Its training programmes, in agriculture and non agric/vocational skills have succeeded in addressing the enormous unemployment problems within the state.
Through the various components which include skills training & empowerment, job sourcing & placement centre; and rehabilitation and socialisation scheme, it has demonstrated the capacity to successfully drive development and economic growth in the state. It's important to note that the concept of OGEGEP encapsulates the goals set by the state's development agenda to provide decent and productive employment and reduce the rate of unemployment to the barest minimum in the state as well as address poverty reduction/ alleviation.
OGEGEP was rechristened Bureau of Employment Generation in 2004 in order to become more effective and expand the scope of its programmes. This includes facilitating employment and creating jobs through training and skills acquisition programmes.
The Daniel-led administration has also recruited more than 10,000 personnel into the public service further depleting the ranks of unemployed. Government sources said the Bureau of Employment Generation has directly and indirectly generated employment for over 20,000 youths since its creation.
It has also successfully trained 2000 youths, retirees and women in agricultural skills in piggery, fishery, arable farming, animal husbandry between 2003 and 2004 as part of the OGD Back -to -the -Land Programme.
It also trained 3000 youths in non agriculture/vocational skills such as food processing, pavement interlocking, tie& dye, catering between 2003- 2005 etc. It has placed placed agriculture graduates in farm estates in various parts of the state, providing them freehold land estates, water and other forms of support services.
To date, 14 farm estates have been established in various parts of the state to meet the needs of the OGEGEP agriculture trainees. A job sourcing and placement centre was opened in January 2006 and to date over 1,000 persons have been successfully placed in employment. Its skills acquisition programmes have met the government's poverty reduction targets and are in line with MDGs, NEEDS and SEEDS objectives.
The beauty of the administration's employment generation schemes is that it provides post-training assistance. Graduands are sent to Ogun State Agricultural and Multipurpose Credit Agency (OSAMCA) to secure micro-credit facilities to enable them to set up small scale businesses. Non-agricultural/ vocational skills graduands have been empowered in other ways such as being employed to work in the State's beautification programme.
From all these landmarks, there is an unassailable record in the area of employment generation which was at zero level on May 29,2003. Otunba Tunde Osokoya, the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission puts the situation in perspective: "Prior to the coming into office of the government of Governor Gbenga Daniel, there was virtual embargo on employment in the civil service. What this meant was that for almost 3 to 4 years before he came into office, there were hardly any employment at all".
Now the total number of those who have been recruited directly into the public service has passed the 10,000 mark. This has been made possible through filling vacancies and the establishment of new strategic ministries and bodies for improved service delivery to the people. The share number of agencies created by Daniel-led administration amazes Dr Onaolapo Soleye, former Federal Minister of Finance. He listed 31 agencies the government has created to fast tract development in the state.
Dr Soleye said by refusing to retire en masse workers and public officers to create vacancies for loyalists and leaving the civil service largely intact the governor has demonstrated that he is the Governor of Ogun State and not of his political party - the PDP.
He is right. Civil servants who would have lost their jobs as a result of the near or virtual collapse of some parastatals can also afford to smile. By June 2003 when Governor Daniel was just settling down to the business of giving Ogun State a new lease of life, it was obvious that the Gateway Industrial Technical Company, Ogun State Printing Corporation, and the Bulk Purchasing Corporation were in dire strait. The governor injected people with competence in their area of operation. Virtually all the companies received a kiss of life as professional managers brought in by the governor have now turned them around. The turn around also allowed civil servants working in the three outfits to continue to earn their daily bread.
This feat is possible according to Dr Soleye because of the professional management of men, money and materials. To the elder statesman, what has taken place in Ogun State is a successful restructuring involving effective utilization of manpower without resorting to the usual mass retrenchment.
According to Emma Ugboaja, secretary general, National Union of Chemical and Footwear Rubber Leather and Non-Metatalic Products Employees, Governor Daniel has tackled the issue of job creation, industrial health and safety and compensation of workers admirably well. On its part the Ogun State branch of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria sees the release of promotions and the return of training programmes for the civil servants as pragmatic steps that would boost their morale.
Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media. (allafrica.com)
Copyright 2006 Accra Mail. Distributed by Allafrica Global Media.
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