REPS ASK FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DECLARE STATE OF EMERGENCY ON UNEMPLOYMENT.

The House of Representatives yesterday requested the Federal Government to immediately
declare a state of emergency on the scourge of unemployment in the country.
It also resolved to take steps in amending the Immigration Act to provide stiffer punishment
for violations of immigration laws with the view to protecting the Nigerian worker.
These resolutions by the House followed a motion titled, “call for a state of emergency and
legislative intervention in the unemployment crisis in Nigeria” sponsored by the House leader,
Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and 78 others.
While pointing out that the unemployment crisis in Nigeria has reached an alarming rate and
is of serious concern, Gbajabiamila stated that various reports have put the percentage of the
unemployed in Nigeria at 24 per cent.
“Various reports and the glaring evidence of joblessness in all states of the federation indicate
that there has been no time in the history of the country that unemployment has been as
serious as it is at the moment.
“The desire of the government, and indeed all Nigerians to tackle the problems of corruption,
insecurity, poverty and crime, which breed unemployment or result from it as there is an
inextricable nexus between unemployment, corruption, crime, poverty and insecurity,” he
stated.
In his contribution, the House Minority Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor and other PDP members were
in support of creating more jobs.
Ogor pointed that there was no need to declare state of emergency in the unemployment
crisis, but called on the President to fulfill his promises to the jobless Nigerian people in that
respect.
“In as much as I am in support of job creation, there should be no
state of emergency on unemployment. The present government
should carry out its promises it made during the presidential
campaign as regards employment,” Ogor asserted.