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FG plans 10m humanitarian jobs in 4 years

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2 years ago

On Monday, the newly appointed Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, Social Development, and Poverty Alleviation, Ms Beta Edu, on the assumption of office, unveiled plans to create 10 million jobs over the next four years of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tenure.

Ms Edu gave the assurance during a brief reception organised by the Ministry after the swearing-in ceremony that took place at the State House, Abuja, which coincides with the fourth anniversary of the Ministry.

While soliciting media support, she unveiled plans for employment generation through the Ministry, saying: “Of course, one very beautiful innovation I think I would just let out today is that we’ll be creating a minimum of 10 million jobs from this Ministry.

Just the same way, we have all our development partners coming, and they help people offer humanitarian services on short-term contracts and the rest of it.

“We too, we’ll be creating those opportunities for those Nigerians, those young people, to build their CVs, among other things.

So, let’s just get ready for the full package of His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He came prepared; he has a very compassionate heart; that’s the most striking thing about him.

Besides the fact that he’s a master strategist and a great leader, he’s full of compassion, and this is his flagship ministry, and we must walk around the clock to produce results.

The Minister who reassured Nigerians of President Tinubu’s resolve to put smiles on the faces of all Nigerians averred that “There’s a whole lot of work to be done. I’ve taken my time over the past few days to go through some data.

“So, I’ve seen that we have about 136 million poor Nigerians. Let’s assume, in all honesty, that the data we have is correct and that we have 200 million Nigerians, which I think is more than that. 136 million is alarming and completely unacceptable to Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, our dear President.

“Of course, different data sources have said we have over 71 million extremely poor people living in Nigeria. There’s a reason why the ministry was renamed: to refocus us.

We need to bring smiles back to the faces of Nigerians. And I’m not seeing data; I’m not seeing numbers; I’m referring to people.

At all costs, Nigerians must smile again. Before we finish the first tenure of His Excellency, the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we have a huge task to deliver.

“We must get down to every single spot in this country and reach those who are underserved, those who are poor, and those who need renewed hope.

We’re not going to play games; we’re going to increase our efforts; we’re going to be very sincere, transparent, and accountable.

We are going to be very sincere. We’re going to be very transparent, and we’re going to be very accountable to Nigerians.

“We’re going to speak out and tell them what it is that we are doing. It’s no secret business. If we are spending one naira, one naira it is.

If we are spending 10 billion, then 10 billion it is, and they must be able to feel the results of that expenditure.

“I want to plead with you. I’m a team player, but I push really hard. Like I push really, really hard. We have a huge job to do, so all hands must be on deck.

People are watching, the minutes are counting already, and Nigerians are waiting. I want to beg us all to drop and layer aside any baggage that will not allow us to do the job the way we should do it.

“I want to plead with us to fasten our seatbelts because we’ll be flying at the speed of light. I don’t know if it’s good for you, but it’s good for the President, and it’s good for Nigerians that a younger person is here.

And the reason is simple: we need energy, we need innovation, and we need speed to reach 136 million people as a matter of urgency.

“Like the Permanent Secretary has said, the cracks in the system, any failure at all in the system, any lapses in the system, whether it’s in the health sector, it’s in the agricultural sector, anywhere, they all end up as humanitarian crises, and of course, it leads to the cycle of poverty.

“Our President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will be bringing on board very new people-centred grassroots-based life-changing programmes, some of the most successful programmes in the history of poverty alleviation anywhere in the world.

All of us are working on the ideas, and we’ll unveil them soon to Nigerians. We’re going to be tactical, and we’re going to be smart about it.

“We’ll give ourselves timelines, and we must walk to meet them. And I plead with you: when you do the service, it’s not service to man; it’s service to God.

While making reference to the available data on poverty alleviation, she lamented that “A lot of people are affected by the humanitarian crisis—over 16.5 million people, according to the UN, 60% of them in the northern part of Nigeria.

There are lots of people in Nigeria living under $1.90 per day. It will not continue. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said, No, this is the end; we must bring renewed hope. I’m open to suggestions. I’m open to advice; I’ll run an open-door policy.

“I like to listen, I like to learn, I like to reach, and again, I like to push, and push really hard. If you forget any other things, don’t forget that last thing

. So when I call you by 2 a.m., it’s because I’m thinking about some group of people who we need to reach by 6 a.m. the next morning.

Forgive me; we just have to do the job to get the job done.

Finally, we will be rejigging a whole lot of things as we go on, and we will be bringing several innovations on board,” she urged.

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