Jutha Gupah, Maiduguri January 9, 2020. The UNDP and Borno state Government, have engaged 2,862 youths into the cash for sanitation programme in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere. The youths, were disengaged from “political thuggery” to participate in social protection programme of cash for sanitation. While re-launching the progaramme Thursday at the Sports Centre, Maiduguri, Governor Babagana Zulum; said social protection model, was to enforce and replaced political thuggery among youths. He said each youth was also paid N30, 000 for six months; to clean streets in 21 wards of MMC and Jere councils. His words: “With today’s (Thursday) re-launch of cash for sanitation, the state government will continue to arrest and prosecute any youth caught in political thuggery,” he said.
He noted that MMC and Jere councils produced the highest number of youths engaged in political violence during 2003 gubernatorial election in the state. Continued; “A total ofN515 million was spent on youths enrolled for the model social protection programme. “The payments, are in addition for youths acquire vocational skills so that they become productive to earn more income. UNDP’s representative Yoshiaki Noguchi said that he will extend the payments by another three months. He disclosed that as from this month, N30, 000 would be paid to each of engaged youths under cash for waste programme.
He said the youths are to generate waste from sanitation, as they did under Zulum’s model. According to him, the UNDP will replicate the programme for youths in Biu and Bama Local Government Areas. While the Governor said another batch of youths will be enrolled for the next phase to end political thuggery in the state.
