Unemployment; Okorocha blames past leaders

Rochas Okorocha, Imo State Governor has resumed his call on the Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-graft agencies in the country to commence a thorough investigation of the N67 billion allegedly squandered by the immediate past administration in the state without further delay.

Okorocha who reinstated his commitment to judicious and effective management of public funds insisted that the missing fund if recovered would add impetus to the execution of his Rescue Mission agenda for the people especially in the areas of job creation. He spoke while launching the “youth must work programme” at the Heroes Square in Owerri.

The governor lamented the current excruciating youth unemployment syndrome and attributed the cancer to brazen corruption and primitive accumulation of wealth by past leaders in the country.

Enumerating some of his landmark achievements in the past two years especially on road construction, building of general hospitals, and schools, payment of workers salaries and pensions, provision of basic infrastructural facilities, and free education for secondary and university students, the governor made it clear that these would not make the desired impact without providing jobs for the youths.

To ensure effective take-off of the programme, the governor disclosed that his administration would, through the State House of Assembly come up with an enabling law to back it up while the state ministry of Agriculture would take steps to ensure the establishment of mini farms in all the 27 councils which would absorb not less than 15 youths per council in agricultural activities.

Additionally, while unemployed graduates would be deployed to work elsewhere, he said that young engineers  among them should report to the Imo State College of Advanced Professional Studies (ICAPS) for training and engagement just as 70 per cent of road construction in the state would henceforth be handled by the unemployed youth engineers of the state origin.

Okorocha assured that oil companies operating in the state, hotels, the Imo palm plantation and such establishments as Immigration and Customs, would be compelled to identify with the programme.