Nigeria will not develop unless … – Akeredolu

•Parleys Youths, Traditional Rulers, Religion Leaders, Others on #Endsars Aftermath

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has identified population law as one of the solutions to the growing youth unemployment across the country even as he called for establishment of technology schools and trade centers.

Akeredolu who noted that the country must chart a new cause to address the issue of youth unemployment, stressed that no state government, whether national or sub-national, can employ all the unemployed youths in the country.

The Governor spoke at the ‘Summit On Youth Unemployable, #ENDSARS and Aftermath: The way Forward’ held at the International Culture and Event Center (DOME), Igbatoro road , Akure, the State Capital.

The event was attended by traditional rulers across the state led by the Chairman of the Council of Obas, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Religious leaders including Alhaji Aladesawe, Chairman of Ondo state League of Imams and Alfas and Chief Imam of Owo kingdom, Alhaji Abdul Akeem Akorede, Chief Imam of Akure Empire and others.

The discussants at the summit included; Mr. Oluyemi Fasipe, #EndSars Advocate, Rt. Hon. Smith Ikumapayi, Speaker, Ondo State Youths Parliament, Pastor Akin Olotu, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agric and Agric business, Special Adviser to the Governor on Entrepreneurship, Sunmi Francis and others.

While lamenting that the population is increasing daily in the country, Akeredolu pointed that a nation that has no population law is not prepared for growth.

He said:”We must be able to control our population through population law. We are almost the size of China population. But in China today, there is a law that you can’t have more then one child. We must be deliberate about this population law.”

Governor Akeredolu said that the country must also look into the continuous registration and approval of Universities, adding that establishment of technology and trade centers should be encouraged to provide self-sustainable employment for the youths.

According to the Governor, the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) must be retooled to engage the youths productively in a way that part of the service year should include mandatory military training for self Defence and more months for entrepreneurship through technical and technological training and trade.

He said the move would empower the youths and discourage the massive jostling for white collar government jobs by the array of unemployed youths across the country.

Governor Akeredolu disclosed that before the #ENDSARS, his administration has created the Ondo State Entrepreneurship Agency (ONDEA) to empower the young entrepreneurs in the state.

While begging the youths to shun violence and vandalism, the Governor charged the religious leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to engage the youths and discourage them from act of destruction and vandalism.

The Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Tayo Alasoadura said the gathering was a dialogue needed at this time, adding that the President has directed members of the Federal Executive Council to liaise with their state governments to hold such meeting.

He pointed that the bane of the society in the country is the youth unemployment, stressing that the FEC has been particularly about awarding contracting that would benefit the vast majority of the youths.

Alasoadura said the problem of youths unemployment has been with the country a long time ago before the President Buhari administration came in place.

He lamented that the private sector that was sector to be the harbinger of employment has become destroyed and hopeless, thereby putting all the tasks and responsibilities on the government.