Esther Okoi|26 October 2018
The recent visit of the World Bank team on audit and fact finding mission to Cross River State has revealed vista of opportunities available for the State Government to explore and take advantage of in changing the economic status of youth in the State that are from poor and vulnerable households.
Speaking while interfacing with the Cross River State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Comrade Asu Okang, the World Bank consultant for the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO), Prof. Omobowale Oni congratulated Cross River State for being one of the leading YESSO States and for the engagement of 4,953 beneficiaries through the Public Workfare Unit (PWF).
Prof. Oni emphasized that essentially, the YESSO-PWF programme is designed to meet the consumption need of those from poor and vulnerable households to ensure they eat good food, stressing that the aim of the project will be defeated if the beneficiaries are not constantly paid their monthly stipends. He however called on the State Government to map out modalities to contribute another counterpart funding to increase the number of young people engaged in the YESSO-PWF project to 10,000 or even 15,000 for greater impact before the exit of the programme.
The World Bank Consultant intimated Comrade Okang on the available opportunity to expand the Skills for (S4J) programme to include State Governments, explaining that the State can enroll as many young persons as they can provide starter packs for, that are between the ages of 18 to 35 years and provide incentives for the trainers. He added that the State would be responsible for their deployment to trainers while the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) will monitor beneficiaries who will be paid during their period of training based on the report of the monitoring from NDE. He informed that only States willing to benefit from S4J will be included as the programme is on Impact Evaluation due to the infusion of State Governments into the process.
Responding, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Comrade Asu Okang appreciated the efforts of the World Bank supported YESSO programme for touching the lives of many young people in the State which has greatly impacted on the polity of the State, adding that remarkable efforts would be put in place to ensure that more youth of the States are enrolled into the programme before its exit.
Comrade Okang who stated that S4J at the inception looked artificial was subsequently frustrated by the trainers assured the team that the Cross River State Government will key into the initiative to improve and empower the youth of the State without recourse to political empowerment and the lip-singing poverty alleviation.
On the official launch of the YESSO-PWF intervention programme, the Commissioner explained that the official launch is for evidential testimony that the programme is not a scam and to showcase the 4953 beneficiaries that have been enrolled so far, promising that all that is required to do the launch will be done quickly to ensure that the project does not suffer. He however appreciated the World Bank for their consistency and appealed that little adjustments be made to reduce their bureaucratic processes.
In a vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Mary-Jane Ngozi Ebri appreciated the team for their visit to the State and for the lofty initiative that is impacting positively in the lives and economy of the poor of the State, affirming that the State is willing to collaborate with the bank in many of such project that would of immense benefits to the youth of the State.
Other members of the World Bank audit team to the State include: Head, Monitoring & Evaluation, Federal Operations Coordinating Unit (FOCU) –YESSO, Abubakar Atiku; NDE YESSO Focal Person, Olaomi Roseline; Desk officer, Federal Ministry of Finance Babatunde Adebayo; and Proramme Assistant Coordinator, FOCU-YESSO, Bada Oluwaseyi.
Esther Okoi writes from Calabar
