The Ondo State government says it has recruited more than 6,000 workers into critical sectors in the last 18 months.

The chief press secretary to the governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, disclosed this on Friday in Akure during the maiden quarterly media briefing on the activities of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration.

Mr Adeniyan said the administration’s employment drive, anchored on its OUR EASE Agenda, focused on strengthening critical sectors of the economy while reducing unemployment across the state.

According to him, more than 6,000 recruits have been absorbed into education, healthcare, security and agriculture to improve service delivery and address manpower shortages.

“It is on record that no governor has created more direct employment opportunities for the people of Ondo State than Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

“In less than two years, more than 6,000 workers have been recruited into critical sectors such as education, healthcare, security and agriculture,” he said.

Mr Adeniyan said that the administration complemented the recruitment exercise with skills acquisition and entrepreneurship programmes targeted at youths and women.

He said the O’Datiwa Skill-Up a Woman Initiative trained and empowered 1,000 women in tailoring, catering, ICT, and other vocational skills, with beneficiaries receiving start-up kits to establish businesses.

Mr Adeniyan added that hundreds of youths had also benefited from the One Youth, One Skill Programme, while exceptional young entrepreneurs continued to receive government support.

He said the government had also provided interest-free loans and grants to market women, artisans and small business owners through the Ondo Ease Fund to stimulate economic growth and expand business opportunities.

According to him, the administration has equally demonstrated its commitment to youth inclusion by appointing more young people into government than any previous administration in the state.

Mr Adeniyan also highlighted the administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare, noting that salaries were now paid on or before the 25th of every month, while pensioners received their entitlements alongside serving workers.

He added that the government had cleared inherited salary arrears, substantially reduced the gratuity backlog, reviewed hazard allowances for health workers, and improved the remuneration of medical doctors to motivate the workforce.

Mr Adeniyan noted that the administration prioritised healthcare by improving the remuneration of health workers to retain skilled personnel and expanding health insurance coverage to all groups in the state.

He added that the administration was also committed to developing infrastructure.

Mr Adeniyan said more than 200 kilometres had been completed while a statewide 90-kilometre road rehabilitation programme was ongoing, with five kilometres allocated to each local government. 

(NAN)