The issue of unemployment has been an issue of concern in Nigeria for decades despite the numerous social intervention programmes initiated to curb the menace since the military era.
According to Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS); the “Nigeria’s unemployment rate stood at 23.1 per cent of the workforce in the third quarter of 2019. Does this has to do with poor policies and implementation of these social intervention programmes?
This is to say that the persisted failures of these social intervention programmes both at national and state levels have revealed the basic inadequacies of the programmes in Nigeria.
And the inability of the various administrations at Federal and state levels to initiate intervention programmes that will cushion the need of the general populace rather creating a dysfunctional intervention programme which usually lead to short term investment decision.
And this has resulted in pushing many unemployed youths into criminal activities just to earn a living.
In view of the persisting rate of unemployment, the Nigerian Senate in its resolution on Wednesday 11, December 2019 urged the Federal, State and Local governments to declare emergency on the provision of employment to the Youths of Nigeria.
The resolution of the Senate was sequel to a motion moved by Senator Ike Ekweremadu on “escalating rate of unemployment in the country.”
The Senate resolved that the Federal Government should initiate a sustainable unemployment Fund for the payment of living stipends to unemployed Nigerians until such persons secure some kinds of employment.
Are the lawmakers serious in their bid to ease the hardships of Nigerian Youths or the elusive “urge” is ceremonial?
Don’t just urge, rather emulate Liberian Federal Lawmakers that in a selfless move had on 1, October voted unanimously to have their earnings slashed to help the country to funds 2020 budget. The Liberian Lawmakers’ resolution is reminiscent to the Italian Parliament which is set to reduce the number of the country’s federal lawmakers from 630 to 400 and senators from 315 to 200 in the bid to save funds.
This is what other lawmakers were doing in order to save funds for the country at a time that the Nigerian lawmakers proposed to buy N5.5bn worth of cars to its principal officers.
Recall that Emir Muhammad Sanusi II had on 26, July 2018 lamented what he called “Abnormal high salary of lawmakers” this is so, because in his analysis “a senator earns as much as N36 million, which could pay the salary of 400 unemployed Nigerians.”
He added that, “If a Senator’s salary is divided into two it comes as N18 million and can be used to create jobs for 200 Nigerians, each earning N90, 000 monthly, When you multiply 200 people by 109 senators, this will give you 21,800 Nigerians gainfully employed.
If you’re serious enough to curb the hardships of the teeming unemployed youths, there is a dire need to slash your salary and jumbo allowances. Establish an Independent Unemployment Trust Fund (IUTF), mainstream all the allowances you slashed into its purse. Provide an enviable parameter upon which it will operate.
Let’s the change begins with you.
Rabiu Musa is an Intern with PRNigeria Centre, Kano And can be reached at: [email protected]
The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect WikkiTimes’ editorial stance.
