The latest survey on health of states in Nigeria is out and again, Rivers State has joined the few states that have the highest rate of unemployment.
Worried by this report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has joined economic analysts, good governance advocates and people of goodwill to blame the prickling report on the gormless approach adopted by the PDP and Gov. Wike-led docile state government in addressing vital issues of common concern.
These issues required judicious evaluations and sound decisions to maneuver them to the advantage of Rivers People.
In a statement made available to Media Houses, Eze said responsible governance is all about identifying the chief needs of the people and putting up mechanisms in place to address them in pursuance of the most happiness of the greatest portion of the state’s population.
The media stalwart and party chieftain expressed worries that under Gov. Wike, government cares very little about the welfare of the poor and the deprived whom he said currently account for over 70% of the state population, a figure which he said speedily rose within the few years Gov. Wike has held sway.
Eze said it is utterly disappointing and pricks the conscience to observe that under the current administration, the glory of the state is fast sliding into the waste bin of history, notwithstanding the huge monthly allocation from the federal government that goes into the state coffers, as well as the fat revenue generated internally through the massive investments initiated by Chibuike Amaechi, when he was Rivers Governor.
Reeling out the possible effects of the situation, the party chief emphasized that prolonged unemployment could lead to an erosion of skills, robbing the economy of otherwise useful talents and forcing young people into a level of crime, suicide and criminality that could further aggravate the already disturbing security situation in the state.
He warned that the society also stands the risk of increased public skepticism and pessimism about the value of education and training, given the fact that a greater chunk of graduates in the state have remained jobless after several years of roaming the labour market.
The APC chieftain called on Rivers Governor to play down talking, jettison petty politics and give a thought to practical actions, lamenting that almost six years into his administration, Gov. Wike is yet to record any reasonable achievement for which he will be remembered after leaving the Brick House.
The APC chieftain appealed to Gov. Wike and his team to develop an effective and more robust and people-oriented economic blueprint to guide the government in its plans and programmes and create the enabling environment to attract local and foreign investors to harp on the highly skilled and enterprising employable population of the state whom he described as rare breeds and full of potentials.
Expressing worries that Gov. Wike and the PDP have left Rivers people in a perpetual squalor without a hint of remorse, Eze said adopting an improved and more pragmatic approach to governance will help create opportunities for young people and prepare them to take up leadership positions.
Based on the new reality that has now exposed kind of perseverance then Gov Amaechi had exerted to achieve the enormous feats in economic management of the state, the party chief said it is wise to appreciate efforts made in those days that may have escaped attention of the public.
Eze thus commended former Rivers Governor and Nigeria’s Transportation Minister, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for his efforts in developing the economies of states in the Niger Delta region especially, the successful berthing, at Onne Port, of the biggest Container Vessel to ever call at any Nigerian port, which he described as historic and a huge opportunity to grow businesses, create more jobs especially, for Rivers youths and improve the livelihoods of the people of the region.
While appealing for patience, as the APC-led federal government continues to make progress in fixing the common challenges that have withheld the collective growth and development of the nation, the South/South/East APC bigwig called on Nigerians to continue to have confidence in President Mohammadu Buhari and the Transportation Minister, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, for more timely and purposeful results.
