774,000 SPW Jobs: Sadness as Programme ends without Payment

The 3 months Special Public Works Programme which commenced officially on 5th January, 2021 has by calculation ended yet no payment to the beneficiaries nor official statement from the government to douse the tensed tendons.

Earlier before the commencement of the Programme, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo had constituted State Selection Committees across the States of the Federation, which by stipulated guidelines selected 1000 candidates per each of the 774 LGAs to form the 774,000 Special Public Works.

By the design of the Programme, these selected individuals who are vulnerable in the societies and mainly non-graduates were to participate in clearing of gutters, clearing of market squares, village squares and other minor activities assigned by the Local Government based on importance, in which they were provided with tools such as Wheelbarrows, Cutlasses, Picks, Rakes, Safety Apron, etc.

Related: 774,000 SPW Job: Special Public Works Program commences as scheduled

Each of the beneficiaries were to be paid N20,000 per Month for doing their jobs which by its 3 Months design, has ended without Payment to any of the beneficiaries.

Reacting to the situation, Ahmed Yusuf, one of the beneficiaries pointed out that it saddens the mind to have engaged in such laborious activities in an empty stomach yet no payment up till now.

Mr Kenneth Nwankwo, a beneficiary in Abia State said he had borrowed money to support his family, hoping that he would recieve payment soonest, only to be dazzled by the sad reality which he does not know how to overcome.

The participants further lamented that running a check of their status on http://banks.specialpublicworks.gov.ng indicated that some of the beneficiaries have not been registered with their designated banks prior to recieving their Account details or being paid while they filled the account opening forms with the banks.

Related: 774,000 Jobs: Special Public Works beneficiaries groan over non-payment, fault Banks

Mr Keyamo had however on Saturday 20th March, 2021 announced that President Mohammadu Buhari had approved the release of the 3 months stipends to the beneficiaries of the Programme (SPW) which he (Keyamo) had directed the National Directorate of Employment to begin processing the payments, promising that the participants would begin to receive their payments in no distant time.

Weeks after the announcement, no payment has been initiated to the beneficiaries of the Programme.