Joe Dinga Pefok
4 April 2008
The Government Delegate to the Douala City Council, Dr. Fritz Ntone Ntone, on April 1 launched a project to provide temporary jobs this year to some 5000 youths across the city.
The project is expected to use up FCFA 2.1 billion. Ntone Ntone says the youth employment programme dubbed "Occupation Jeunes 2008" is part of the council's relentless contribution to the fight against the high rate of youth unemployment and poverty in the city.
The Government Delegate said Douala City Council has made youth employment one of its major preoccupations. On April 1 300 youths were recruited to work for a month with the council. A renewal of the contract is possible. The youths, who can provide skilled labour like painters, builders and so on will do specific jobs, while the unskilled labour engage in periodic jobs available at council.
Some will be assigned to do work at the different markets in Douala, while others will go around pulling down illegal posters. Meanwhile, there are allegations that the project is a response to the violent uprising of youths in Douala last February who complained of employment.
The Government Delegate has not come out clear as to the real source of the funds allocated for the project. Even the criteria for the selections of the youths, does not look transparent.
Many observers are also questioning how effective such the programme will be to effectively fight poverty and unemployment when the youths will only be recruited for a month. Many are those who think that it would have been better if the council employed a smaller number to work for a longer period.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Post. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
