A small window of opportunity has been opened for the repatriated indigenes of Oyo State as the state government indicates its resolve to launch an employment scheme for them.
Making this disclosure was the Chairman, Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority, Dr Akin Fagbemi, at the end of a meeting with the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Diaspora Affairs, Bolanle Sarumi-Aliyu, on Tuesday.
Oyo Reporters learnt that the meeting centered on how the department of Diaspora Affairs could partner OYRTMA in providing opportunities for Oyo State indigenes who were repatriated from overseas.
Fagbemi, who noted that many of them were subjected to various degrees of denigrating conditions and hostile work environments, reiterated the commitment of the administration to the welfare of the people of the state in general.
“It is important we appreciate the governor for putting the people of Oyo State first in his policies and governance model. I must commend the SSA for seeing to the repatriation of stranded and helpless sons and daughters of Oyo State.
“We are ready to join you to make live easier for the returnees. We shall create a special arrangement and training for those of them you recommend and subsequently co-opt them into our ‘OYRTMA Mayor Scheme’ so as to enable them earn a living through government-provided-stipends whilst contributing significantly to the economic growth of the state by ensuring free flow of human and vehicular traffic.
“In addition, this would help take them off the street as they struggle to reintegrate into the society. It would reduce crime rate as it remains a known fact that an unemployed individual is a reserved soldier for destruction,” he said.
Sarumi said, “This scheme will serve two main purposes. One is the pride the individual will have to serve the society for greater purpose and the most important being the opportunity to have something doing in the interim.
“It is a sign of better things to come for the youths of Oyo State. They have seen that the present administration has been doing everything in its programmes, policies and actions to favour the youths and the less privileged in the society.”
