FG Will Address Unemployment Problem Amongst youth – Lai Mohammed

Lai Mohammed, The Minister of Information and Culture on Sunday in Lagos said the Federal Government will continue to address the issue of job creation for the youths.

Lai disclosed this while speaking in the meeting of governors, ministers and traditional rulers of South-West states following the EndSARS protest commotion.

Also in attendance of the one-day meeting was Presidential delegates, led by the Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.

The Minister said that the government would continue to engage the youths and address the issue of poverty alleviation.

“It is not as if the government has not been addressing the issue of unemployment. The newly launched funds by the government was actually aimed at creating job opportunities.

“What the government has done so far is to provide platforms where businesses can thrive,´´Alhaji Mohammed said.

The Minister said that the purpose of the South-West meeting was to allow interaction between governors and other political leaders in the region.

He added that the federal government delegation used the moment to commiserate with the Lagos State Government following the attack it suffered recently in the EndSARS protest commotion.

“It was a peaceful meeting and it was agreed that the state and the federal government response to the initial demand of the EndSARS protest was appropriate,” Lai said.

Muhammed states that the government would continue to invest in the development of human capacity, with more implementation of economic policies that will engender development and building of more public infrastructure that would empower the teeming youths.

The South-West traditional rulers blamed politicians for the EndSARS protest commotion witnessed in the region in the last few weeks.

The traditional rulers expressed dissatisfaction at the manner politicians had turned politics into money induced venture at the expense of the interest of the youth.

The Monarchs opined that high rate of unemployment among youths led to the agitation in the EndSARS protest.

“The governors have taken the right steps with this meeting. However, they have been far away from we monarchs. You should not wait till election days before you reach out to us. This type of meeting should come regularly.

“We know the good and the bad in our communities but we are under-utilised,” Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, said.

In his statement, The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, said the destruction had put the region in a complex situation.

“It is a complex and complicated matter. Our children are jobless and many are hungry. The problems are too much for the states.

“The states are not independent. The structure we run in Nigeria cannot allow state governors to do much for their states,´´ Alaafin said.

Oba Akinruntan Obateru, The Oluigbo of Ugbo urged the Inspector General of Police to conduct detailed investigation into the incident and fish out those behind the protest.

Oba Rilwan Akiolu,The Oba of Lagos, said that “truth is very bitter,´´ adding that majority of the problems were caused by politicians.

“The power with the federal government is too much. The security architecture of the country needs to be restructured.

“The problem we have in Lagos is security and unemployment. The youths have to be looked after. What happened is pure case of security breach. The entire system needs reformation,´´ Akiolu concluded.