Bimbola Oyesola
Nigeria’s Organised Labour movement at the weekend berated latest plan by the Federal Government to pay N20,000 to unemployed youths for the maintenance of public infrastructure. The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) which voiced its opposition to what it considered a drain on the economy, said it would vehemently kickagainst the government’s plan to pay the said sum to unemployed youths for a period of three months, to maintain public and social infrastructure in the country.
TUC President, Quadri Olaleye, described the move as another conduit pipe for politicians and their foot-soldiers.
“There is mindless looting of the nation’s treasury and the Federal Government appears to pat perpetrators of such illegality on the back. At first, it was N5, 000 for the poorest of poor, now it is N20,000 for the unemployed. We are going to protest against that, not because it is a bad idea, but because we saw how the palliatives they distributed went. They have never been sincere and this will not be an exception,” he said.
He noted that TUC as a body commends the president’s effort to bring succour to the unskilled unemployed, but reasoned that payment of N20,000 to 1,000 unemployed persons per local government area for a period of three months does not in any way solve Nigeria’s unemployment challenge. He said, “to the glory of God this administration still has three good years. The TUC is of the opinion that the president and his economic team use that money to build factories in the whole 774 Local government areas in the country. Let the government do a feasibility study on the local governments and invest accordingly. “The President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina stated without ambiguity, recently, that until Africa starts adding value to its natural resources it will not come out of the shackle of underdevelopment and poverty. Of a truth, less than 50 percent of the fruits produced in Benue do not get to the market. They rot away. Government can build a factory that will produce fresh juice for Nigerians.”
Olaleye said the president may have a good intention, but experiences have shown that those who handle the task are irresponsible, selfish, insensitive and lack milk of human kindness in them. He sighted the “School Feeding” Programme, which he lamented is still on despite the fact that schools are not in session and news of government offsetting Nigerians electricity bills which was all lies.