The Ondo State government says it has recruited more than 6,000 workers in critical sectors in the last 18 months.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, made the disclosure on Friday in Akure during the first quarterly press briefing on the activities of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration.
Adeniyan said the administration’s jobs drive, based on its OUR EASY Agenda, focused on strengthening critical sectors of the economy while reducing unemployment across the state.
READ ALSO: VIDEO: ‘I Have Proof’, Atiku Makes New Claim About Tinubu’s Real Age
According to him, more than 6,000 recruits have been absorbed into education, healthcare, security and agriculture to improve service delivery and address labor shortages.
“It is on record that no governor has created more direct employment opportunities for the people of Ondo State than Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
“In less than two years, more than 6,000 workers have been hired in critical sectors such as education, healthcare, security and agriculture,” he said.
Adeniyan said the administration complemented the recruitment exercise with skill acquisition and entrepreneurship programs targeting youth and women.
She said the O’Datiwa Skill-Up a Woman Initiative trained and empowered 1,000 women in tailoring, catering, ICT and other vocational skills, with beneficiaries receiving starter kits to set up businesses.
Adeniyan added that hundreds of youth had also benefited from the One Youth, One Skill programme, while exceptional young entrepreneurs continued to receive support from the government.
He said the government had also provided interest-free loans and grants to market women, artisans and small business owners through the Ondo Ease Fund to stimulate economic growth and expand business opportunities.
According to him, the administration has equally demonstrated its commitment to youth inclusion by appointing more youth to the government than any previous administration in the state.
Adeniyan also highlighted the management’s commitment to the welfare of workers, noting that salaries were now paid on or before the 25th of each month, while pensioners received their entitlements along with in-service workers.
He added that the government had cleared inherited salary arrears, substantially reduced bonus accumulation, revised hazard benefits for healthcare workers and improved doctors’ remuneration to motivate the workforce.
Adeniyan noted that the administration prioritized health care by improving the remuneration of health workers to retain qualified personnel and expanding health insurance coverage to all groups in the state.
He added that the administration was also committed to infrastructure development.
Adeniyan said more than 200 kilometers had been completed while a 90-kilometer statewide road rehabilitation program was underway, with five kilometers allocated to each local government..
WATCH THE BEST VIDEOS FROM Newslodge TV