In spite of governor Udom Emmanuel’s socioeconomic empowerments couple with other humanitarian interventions including hundreds of private – sector jobs churned out through the establishment of over 20 industries in the state, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has pegged the state’s unemployment rate at 51 per cent, it was learnt at the weekend.
Apparently dissatisfied with the rating, which has generated anxiety among the young and active population, mostly unemployed graduates, the Emmanuel’s administration has faulted the research findings by the NBS, arguing that the state’s unemployment statistics hovers around only 29 per cent.
The commissioner for Economic Development, Mr Emem Almond Bob, who disagreed with the recent NBS unemployment polls across states, maintained that “after thorough investigations by the ministry, it can be authoritatively confirmed that the unemployment rate in Akwa Ibom stands at 29 per cent and not 51 per cent, as erroneously quoted by the NBS.”
He gave the clarification at the ongoing budget defence of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) held at the state’s House of Assembly, while listing the various activities carried out by the ministry during the 2022 fiscal year.
“Coordination of the state’s COVID – 19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme, review and production of 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) production of 2022 citizens budget, hosting of bilateral discussions on capital estimates with MDAs, amongst others,” Bob explained, were some of his achievements in the preceding budget year.
The commissioner, who solicited for an upward review of the N4 billion budgetary sum earmark for climate change to N5 billion, explained that “climate change has been an epidemic that should be tackled drastically considering what has happened in some states in recent times.
“Climate change is one of those unanticipated changes that has taken place everywhere and it would not be out of place for the ministry of Economic Development to advise the state government to plan ahead, considering the rate of flooding that has taken place in some states in Nigeria, which was unexpected,” he stressed.
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