BY TOPE FAYEHUN, Akure
The Minister of State for Niger Delta, Chief Omotayo Alasoadura, on Wednesday blamed youth unemployment in the country on the inability of the successive administrations to create an enabling environment for Nigerian youths.
Alasoadura stated this in Akure on Wednesday during a Summit tagged, Youth unemployment, #EndSARS, and aftermath: the way forward.
The minister, who said it was clear that youth unemployment was the bane of the Nigerian society, explained that the present administration could not be blamed for the millions of youths, women, and artisans doing nothing.
According to him, government jobs are no longer able to accommodate the teeming unemployed youths we have today.
Alasoadura said, “We are in trouble. The government cannot provide everything, but they have still provided a lot of outlets, loans for our youths to enable them to have small businesses. The government cannot employ everybody.”
Earlier, Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State lamented the massive destruction during the #EndSARS protests and said a new course needed to be charted for the country to move forward.
He described the protest as a good one until it was hijacked by hoodlums who used it for the destruction of property.
Akeredolu, who said the protest had reduced the morale of the police, argued that gainful employment would never happen in an unsecured environment, hence the need to encourage and boost the morale of the Nigeria Police.
The governor admitted that the government had failed to provide jobs for the youths, but also called for population law to control the growth rate.
He solicited compulsory entrepreneurship in the school curriculum to ensure the self-reliance of graduates.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police Ondo State Command, Bolaji Salami enjoined everyone to cooperate to secure themselves because no government could solely fund security due to its expensive nature.
“Cooperate with the government to give our security agencies what they need to provide a good security system.
“The parents, Traditional Rulers, religious leaders, and everyone else have roles to play because the government could not do it alone.
“Assist the security agencies for good implements to provide adequate security,” he said.
In his remark, Mr. Olumide Fasipe, an #EndSARS Coordinator, commended the governor and disassociated the #EndSARS protesters from the vandalization during the #EndSARS protest.
He explained that the intention of the protest was for a better police system which does not allow for brutality or extortion of the people.
“Our major problem was with all the units of the police, not only SARS. We also get reports of professional misconduct from other units too.
“The #EndSARS protest did not just happen, it started in 2017. We did not support any act of vandalization or destruction.
“We see other police systems in other countries and want such for our country. #EndSARS is not an anti-government or anti-police campaign because the police themselves are victims.
“Living conditions of the police are not good. Part of our demands was for a better salary for the police,” he said.
Fasipe enjoined anyone who had witnessed police brutality or vandalization during the protest including police personnel to write memoranda to the judicial panel of enquiry.
