Borno State Government on Wednesday flagged off the second phase of youths empowerment scheme with the aim of making the younger generation self reliant.
The state Deputy Governor, Hon. Umar Usman Kadafur who represented Governor Babagana Zulum at the occasion in Maiduguri, said in the first phase, a total of 2887 youths were engaged in public works and are being paid a monthly stipends of thirty thousand Naira each for a period of 14 months amounting to one billion, two hundred and ninety eight million, three hundred and forty thousand naira.
The governor noted that as part of a similar intervention, the state governor has also considered monthly stipend to other vulnerable groups which include 267 lepers to get #112,140,000 physically challenged gets #214,520,000, while 159 deaf persons got #66,780,000 respectively.
He further said this administration has also empowered 2,877 youths and 937 physically challenged persons will receive a monthly stipend of fifteen thousand naira for a period of ten month.
Gov Zulum added that the sum of over two billion Naira is being spent on the youths empowerment programme by hus administration, with a view to discourage political thuggery and other social vices among our youths and make them self reliant.
The governor, therefore urged the youths to desist with immediate effect from all forms of thuggery, harassment of people during ceremonies as government would no longer condone this act any further.
He noted that in the second phase of empowerment programme, the sum of seventy two million Naira would be disburse to 3,800 youths with the aim of empowering the young generation to contribute to their economic well being.
The governor urged them to take the advantage of his administration gesture to become a reasonable and useful members of the society.
The Commissioner, Ministry of Sports and Youths Empowerment, Hon.Sainna Buba assured the youths of government’s readiness to assist them as long as they are ready to become useful to themselves .
He added that the aim was to empower them to become self reliant and self employed as well as employers of labour, while charging them to desist from all acts of political thuggery.