Beneficiaries of the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme (LAGOS-CARES) have been urged to leverage the opportunities and the derivable benefits of the initiative to acquire skills and improve their standard of living.
The Permanent Secretary, Office of Sustainable Development Goals and Investment, Mrs Abosede George gave the advice at the sensitisation programme organised for beneficiaries of the Labour Intensive Public Workforce, Delivery Platform (DLI 1.2) in the 20 LGAs of Lagos State.
Speaking at the one-day programme held at Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, the Permanent Secretary explained that the initiative is designed to address the emergency constraints of loss of labour income among poor and vulnerable households occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic across communities in the State.
“This intervention programme is an integral part of the national approach, adopted to alleviate the burden of the pandemic and enhance the wellbeing of our people”, she stated.
George noted that the Labour Intensive Public Workfare delivery platform is strategic in the overall implementation of the scheme as it is meant to substantially address the socio-economic well-being of vulnerable members of society and alleviate poverty.
She said beneficiaries who were selected from the State Social Register (SOCU), a system built through a transparent and acceptable process in line with the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), were provided immediate employment opportunities in the public sector of the State.
The Permanent Secretary explained that the enrolled beneficiaries who have gone through training in line with their job specification have been placed on social duties under MDAs in the State and receive their monthly stipends appropriately.
“As a responsive government, we are enabling opportunities towards achieving the desired state of wellbeing and socially acceptable standard of living among our citizens. Greater emphasis has been placed on implementing strategies to bring in more citizens into the socio-economic safety net”, George maintained.
According to her, this administration will continue to collaborate with people of goodwill in the public and private sectors to deliver good governance to the citizens, stressing that interventions like this will effectively help towards building a productive society.
The Facilitator of the session and member of, the State Care Coordinating Unit, LAGOS-CARES, Mr. Baruwa Basit emphasised that beneficiaries are at, the centre of the initiative and the State Government is committed to protecting their interest.
Emphasising the importance of the scheme to strengthen and extend social protection to the poor and vulnerable citizens of the state, Baruwa implored beneficiaries to look beyond the monthly stipends and harness relevant skills that will ensure their wellbeing.
“It is commendable that beneficiaries have been deployed to work with various MDAs including the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), Ministry of Transportation, Primary Health Care Board, Neighbourhood Watch and the Lagos State Public Works. This will go a long way towards achieving the purpose of the scheme”, Baruwa submitted.
Basit, therefore, urged beneficiaries to carry out their assigned duties appropriately and cooperate with supervisors and members of their host community to ensure the success of the strategic programme.
Beneficiaries who shared their testimonies were full of appreciation to the State Government for the timely intervention and the sincerity of purpose in the coordination of the scheme.
Over 1000 beneficiaries from Local Governments across the State attended the training session.
