The State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) in Bayelsa, has received 46,985 applications from job seekers in Yenagoa, the state capital, who want to be employed as minor public workers.

SEFFOR Communication Officer in Bayelsa, Tarinyo Akono, disclosed in Yenagoa on Thursday, that 46,985 applications were received from residents of Yenagoa metropolis, for whom 2,500 slots were provided.

“Our intention is to engage 6,000 persons for the project this year.

Out of that figure, 2,500 slots are available for residents of Yenagoa metropolis and we have received 46,985 applications for that already.

“The remaining 3, 500 opportunities are open for applicants residing in communities and villages outside Yenagoa metropolis.

“This category is not thrown open for applicants. It is done based on nomination by the leadership of the communities and done in a transparent manner,” he said.

Akono said that the selected applicants would be engaged in minor public works such as road maintenance, sweeping and cleaning of road, painting of kerbs, clearing of drains, planting of trees/flowers and vegetation, among others.

He said that beyond the engagement which had a contractual term of 12 months with N20, 000 monthly stipends, SEEFOR would also enroll the beneficiaries in money management and entrepreneurial skill training.

The communication officer said the aim of the training was to make the beneficiaries become life-time entrepreneurs at the termination of the 12 months engagement in the SEEFOR project.

“The intention of the partnering agencies is not to continue to make them life-time beneficiaries, but entrepreneurs that will soon become renowned employers of labour,” he said.

He explained that the selection of beneficiaries were done on the basis of their special needs which included their household size, dependents on the beneficiaries.

“Out of the N20, 000 monthly stipend, beneficiaries will be able to withdraw only N15, 000 each month; it is in a bid to help them cultivate good savings culture.

“At the termination of their employment they will have saved N60, 000 each which they can invest in the skill they learnt at the money management and entrepreneurial skill training class,” he said. (NAN)

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