Generally speaking Imo State since creation in 1976 is reputed to be a civil service state. It is not cut out for such activities as commercial or industrial ventures. This implies that governments at different eras created employment opportunities which absorbed the growing school leavers.
It appears that no longer holds as the value and meaning which civil service job offered to the citizens appear bastardized by politicians who are now at the driving seat of governance. There is no more joy, pride and contentment in bearing the tag of civil servants. Sadly, they have become the sacrificial lambs that are used, dumped and frustrated by politicians who leave them without benefits after retirement.
The recent revelations by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) appear to lend credence to the above assertions. The NBS in a recent survey rated the state of Imo as one with the highest level of jobless, unemployed, able bodied men and women in Nigeria. Sadly, since the pronouncement no reaction has been received from the government quarters on how it intends to reverse the reported trend which portends great danger for the state.
The implications of this ugly situation cannot be lost on any individual who understands that unemployment is a big time bomb waiting to explode if not properly handled. The surging level of crime today in the society is attributed to lack of jobs which predispose youths to illicit activities if anything, just to survive.
Today, the society is engulfed with sad tales of 419, robbery, ritual murder, scam deals, drugs etc all by our youths who are the supposed leaders of tomorrow. It gladdens no one’s heart that the situation rather than abate is on a rising scale.
Presently, it is not clear that the government is on any program designed to engage and absorb the teeming unemployed youths churned out with each passing year. Imo correspondingly is also one of the states with the highest enrolment in education. Unfortunately, the government has not put any plan in place to engage the students as they graduate.
This situation would not have arisen if there is one. The reported empowerment schemes by the government it seems are not responding to the challenge that is if they are actually in place. Tongues are already wagging that the reported Rabbit empowerment scheme may have vanished into thin air as it is not evident that anyone is engaged in it.
There are indications that the over 10,000 employees of the government who are yet to be paid since over a year may have been thrown into the unemployment market if feelers from the government is anything to go by. While the workers are agitating to be paid, government has declared with a tone of finality repeatedly that it does not owe anybody declaring that any one yet to receive his pay is a ghost worker.
It is not very clear on what premise the government is standing to make its pronouncement but the understanding of many observers is that the administration of Hope Uzodimma may have tricked them out of their job smartly playing on different distractions of verifications. This is increasing the hardship of Imo citizens.
News Echo frowns at this development and wishes to charge Uzodimma as well as other governors to rise to the challenges of creating more jobs and save existing ones. Doing this is a right step to stem crime in the society. It is very much unlike a typical Igbo people to take the rear on critical developmental issue. We challenge the governor to wake up to his responsibilities.
Patriotic industrialists within and outside the state should turn this challenge into a great opportunity.
