BY EGUFE YAFUGBORHI

WARRI— Delta State Government has engaged additional 1,450 jobless persons in public works opportunities under the State Employment and Expenditure for Result Project, SEEFOR, scheme.

The state Commissioner for Finance and Chairman, Implementation Committee on SEEFOR, Mr. Kenneth Okpara, said the empowerment opportunity was a collaboration between the state, World Bank and civil society towards stemming mass unemployment in the state.

Okpara, who spoke at the orientation for engaged persons, said: “The initiative is part implementation of the Delta Beyond Oil policy.
“It is geared towards shifting the state’s economy from over-dependence on oil revenue and its limited opportunities to a diversified market at empowering as many unemployed as possible.

“We started with 400 persons in Asaba last year. We will spread across the state. Each beneficiary gets one year of pay to engage in tasks, including road repairs and rehabilitation, environmental sanitation, waste management and other public works as may be assigned by accredited contractors and supervisors.”