No fewer than 7,500 applicants have applied for employment into the Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSMA).
The Secretary to the Edo Government, Mr Osarodion Ogie, disclosed this while fielding questions from newsmen in Benin on Wednesday.
Ogie, however said only 250 spaces were available to be filled to revamp the traffic management agency.
He disclosed that the process of screening of the applicants would commence on Saturday, Aug. 18 with a written examination.
The SSG gave reason for the high number of applications received from the job to the reformation the present administration had carried out in the Agency within the last few months.
“You see many applying for EDSTMA job. When we started, nobody thought that EDSTMA will work. We are carrying out revolution and the people are happy for it,” he said.
Ogie gave assurance that the state government would hit the 200,000 jobs promised during the campaign.
He said that the state government planned to engage no fewer than 6,600 youths across the state within the next few weeks.
The Secretary to the State Government said the minimum of 200 youths would be engaged in each of the 18 Local Government Areas of the state for the job.
He said those to be engaged would be trained by the Nigeria Police Force and Army on intelligence gathering to help fight crimes in communities across the state.
Ogie said over 50,000 youths have been employed through the Edo Jobs initiative and introduction of e-ticketing for collection of revenue.
He noted that the revolution being carried out by Gov. Godwin Obaseki`’s administration was to empower thousands of people instead of a few individuals.
He stated that reforms in the local councils have led to increase Internally Generated Revenue that local councils could now pay salaries, clear backlog of salary arrears and award contracts.
According to him, “We are not yet two years in office but we are close to our 200,000 jobs target. Government does not want to waste money so we are building institutions.
“We restored law and order. Pensioners are now happy but some people want us to reverse ourselves. If we do that, the people will not have respect for us.”
