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Benson Ojoko, SEEFOR Co-ordinator, Delta state

To ease the current disgusting situation of waste management in Asaba, and Delta state in general, a call has been made for the resuscitation of the pillars that ensured the success of waste management under the State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR).
SEEFOR Delta state Co-ordinator, Mr. Benson Ojoko who made the call while answering questions from journalists on Friday, October 13th, 2017 in the conference room of his office in Asaba agreed with the journalists that the waste management situation in Asaba metropolis is indeed, appalling, pointing out that it was not so when it was part of the SEEFOR Project that his office co-ordinated.
Ojoko stated: “The SEEFOR handed over a robust service that proved that employment can be generated, and that money can be made. We were to intervene for a period of one year according to the project demand, working with the PSP, Waste Management Board and the HODs of the six project areas.”
He urged that the government should ensure continuity with the success achieved in waste management with the engagement of the PSPs by ensuring that the pillars that made for the success of SEEFOR project in waste management should be resuscitated, and the standard started by SEEFOR for waste management should be put in place and enforced.
He explained that there should be a clearly defined service standard for the operators of PSPs. For instance, there should be internal control mechanisms to check how often PSPs go round for waste removal, among other things.
He announced that so far, the SEEFOR Project has been able to employ 5,212 youths in Delta state through its account and expenditure control procurement reform programme, where the youth are trained on entrepreneurial skills so that when they are discharged, they can fall back on the skills they have acquired to set up small scale businesses of their own.
“Currently, we are trying to partner with the Job Creation office of the Delta state Government. Due tom the collaboration, the World Bank is trying to support the Job Creation Office of the administration,” Mr. Ojoko revealed.
He named the support areas to include training of the youth to acquire market relevant skills, and giving out starter packs tom them. “More than 12,000 youths have been trained, but only 1,100 persons of these have been provided with starter packs.
Besides, Ojoko said the SEEFOR Project in Delta State also covers community development activities in fulfillment of the prosperity for all agenda of the Okowa administration. “SEEFOR Project supports community development initiatives of any community. What is required is the expression of interest by the community,” he said.