The Menace Of Unemployment

The increasing rate of unemployment in the labour market in the country should be considered as one of the major factors that contributes to the societal ills, which has eaten so deep into the fabric of the society as well as poses great challenge to both federal and state governments.

For a successful administration to prevent youth restiveness attention should be given to the problem of unemployment in the country and the establishment of more small and medium scale industry.

Permit me to say that unemployment is a situation where an adult, be it a man or woman who is up to the age of working or establishing business, but could not be gainfully employed or start any business. Worse still, to engage in meaningful business because of financial constraints. Employment is the opposite of unemployment, which means one could be an employee of government or private.

It is a fact that the evil associated with unemployment is enormous; no wonder people always say that ‘an idle mind is the devils workshop.’ No nation can achieve its et goals without tackling unemployment problem. All hands, both federal, state governments and privates sectors should be on deck to ensure that our youths are fully engaged. We are all aware that over 40 percent of our youths are jobless as well as financially handicapped to establish their own business and this has caused most of them to join one bad group or the other in order to earn a leaving. It is our duty to direct them right so that they will be good leaders of tomorrow. Parents know the pains they pass through to train one person in the University, that when the child graduates for over 4 to 5 years, no job or money for the fellow to start business and some of the graduates will end up joining secret cults in order to keep life going. This frustration of our young graduates has caused untimely deaths of some parents as well as a lot of our youths.

To the best of knowledge, when government lifted embargo on employment in the 1980/81, the masses were employed and the crime waves in the country that time till 1999, was drastically reduced and people go about their normal businesses on the streets in Port Harcourt without been challenged.

My thanks goes to the Rivers State Government for recognising the evils associated with unemployment in the society hence the ministry of youths empowerment and employment generation was created and this will contribute in no small measure to reduce the high rate of labour market in the state.

The introduction of school-to-land authority and skill acquisition programme introduced by the state government is yet another mile-stone that will help to engage our young school leavers and I am appealing to the present administration to pay more attention to these programmes.

The Rivers State Government should monitor both the Federal establishments and companies operating in the state; conduct their employment interview, to ensure that the employment of junior staff from 01-06 should be Rivers indigenes.

We are aware that the present Rt. Hon. Chibuike  Rotimi Amaechi-led administration has made giant stride towards developmental projects, so it embarked on several project some of which when completed, would return Port Harcourt to its former garden city glory. May I suggest that government should as well embark on human capital empowerment by introducing soft loans to enable our youths to establish their own businesses, which will be another area to reduce unemployment in the state?

Federal Government should come up with a law that will enable our graduates to gain automatic employment in any establishment, where they are posted to serve their national youth service (NYSC) after their service year.

We all know that people are retiring from the civil service almost every month, both in the federal and state governments, on that note; I urged the Federal and state governments including the local government areas to fill up those vacancies with our youths that are roaming the streets aimlessly.

Oriji resides in Port Harcourt.

Enyinda Oriji