By Awayi Kuje
National Directorate of Employment (NDE), on Thursday, empowered 26 beneficiaries of its Environmental Beautification Training Scheme (EBTS) with equipments worth N3.94 million in Nasarawa State.
Mr Chris Bamsida, the directorate’s state coordinator in Nasarawa State, disclosed this at the presentation ceremony in Lafia.
Bamsida said that the 26 beneficiaries of the basic work tools were selected out of the 30 participants, who had successfully undergone intensive three months training of the EBTS.
He said that the gesture was to empower them to become self-reliant and employers of labour ” under hard landscaping, soft landscaping and plaster of paris (POP) in Nasarawa,” he said.
It is also “to create a pool of entrepreneurs that will become employers of labour, to create a decent job through training and the development of landscape service providers from design to installation,” he said.
He added that the gesture would also reduce restiveness among the unemployed youths and create a sustainable employment and wealth.
Bamsida said that N3.94 million was earmarked from NDE headquarters for the resettlement exercise.
“In line with the implementation guidelines, a purchasing committee was formed and the conducted market survey and thereafter made the direct purchases of the equipment/ tools.
“Equipment and working tools purchased under hard landscaping skills included hand trowel, head pan, wheel barrow, big shovel, water pumping generator, three inches submerged water hose, rubber hand glove, rubber padded hammer and inter locking mould,
Others are inter locking Kerbs (big and small), worth N130,000 to be disbursed to each of the 10 beneficiaries of hard landscaping skill with no cash balance.
“Similarly, eight beneficiaries trained in soft landscaping skills, will receive environmental beautification tools like giant trimming scissors (for flowers), set of planting tools (hand forks with trowel and hand rake), 3/4 water hose and hand digger.
“Head pan, hand shovel, hand glove, water pumping generator – three inches, submerged water hose, worth N107, 225.00 and cash balance of N42,775.00 each to be paid through their bank accounts,” he said.
Bamsida said that eight other beneficiaries of POP would get tools and equipments such as POP smoothening machine, wooden mould, spirit level, angle iron, hand saw, measuring take.
Others are combing trowel, Scraper, roll of yarn worth N74,750.00 with a cash balance of N105,250.00 each, to be paid through their bank accounts.
He urged the beneficiaries to use the tools for the purpose they were meant.
“I warn you not to sell or divert the items but rather use them for the intended purposes, ” he said.
The state coordinator called on stakeholders to collaborate with the directorate to create more employment opportunities in the state and thanked Gov Abdullahi Sule for creating the enabling environment for the directorate to actualise its vision of “Jobs For All” in Nasarawa .
” I also most sincerely thank the Director-General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu for making Nasarawa among the beneficiaries of this scheme being implemented in selected states of the country,” he said.
Mrs Beatrice Ordu, Staff, Special Public Works Department, NDE Headquarters, Abuja, urged the beneficiaries not to sell the equipment/ tools in their interest and for the overall development of the country.
She congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to be employers of labour by impacting the knowledge gained to others.
On his part, Dr Idris Umar, the General Manager, state Vocational and Relevant Technology Board (VRTB) in Nasarawa, assured of the board’s continued collaboration with the NDE in order to tackle unemployment and youth restiveness in the state.
Umar was represented by Mr Suleiman Sallau, Director, Skills Acquisition of the board.
In their goodwill messages, Alhaji Dauda Idris, NDE’s retired director and Mr Yunusa Ibrahim, Comptroller, Nigeria Correctional Service, Nasarawa Command, urged the beneficiaries to use the tools and become self-reliant and employers of labour.
They also urged them to be good ambassadors of the agency.
Responding on behalf of other beneficiaries, Christiana Sewuese, appreciated NDE for the gesture and promised to use the equipment for the purpose they were meant. (NAN)
