By Abdulwahab Abdulah
LESS than two weeks after the Osun State government made public its intention to give jobs to 20,000 youths under its Osun State Youth Empowerment Scheme, OYES, over 15,000 applicants have obtained forms, applying for jobs in the state.

The applicants who are mainly citizens of the state responded to government’s call for the youths to register in order to give them employment as well as taking statistics of the unemployed youths in the state.

In a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the scheme, Olatunbosun Oyintilioye, the group said as at yesterday, over 150,000 youths had applied for the scheme.

The scheme was put up by Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s to work out the modalities for the employment of 20,000 youths within the 100 days of his assumption into office.

Oyintilioye, said the collection of  forms by interested candidates began on December 20, 2010 and had since recorded over 150,000 applicants for the volunteer Corps Scheme across the state’s 31 local government areas.

He noted scheme was in fulfillment of the ACN’s government  six-point Integral Action Plan to create immediate employment for 20,000 youths within the first three months and said the outrageous  number of the applicants so far had exposed the level of the unemployed youths in the state, saying, “this is a reflection of the extent of deprivation of the dignified and hardworking people of Osun who desire and deserve gainful employment for their children and themselves.”

“The government will use the collected data of the unemployed youths in the state judiciously, and act as fast as possible to enlist them in other projects to be embarked upon in no distance time. We intend to employ the eclectic use of data, identification and utilization of the best minds and talents to bring about a fundamental change in our state.”

He urged interested persons to download their forms on the state government’s website and submit at various local government areas of the state, as collection and returning of forms, which he said would end on January 7, 2011.

Oyintiloye noted that only short-listed persons would be contacted for training, and hopefully resume duties before the end of the 100 days in office.