Dr. Bukola Saraki, Senate President punched the air that more females are jobless in Nigeria than males without any serious attempt to address the parity.
The statistics revealed by Dr. Saraki, was already in the public domain and not a product of his research or brain.
Before this time, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had rolled a report that out of 38.2 million youths component of the labour force in the country, 15.2 million are either seeking employment or out of job.
The report further revealed “Available statistics show that majority of unemployed youth are female.”
Though the Senate President said the estimates as provided by the Bureau of Statistics (NBS) called for concerted effort by relevant stakeholders to tame the situation, he has not taken any concrete step to address the hydra-headed problem.
On a yearly basis, does the Senate or House of Representatives take statistics of number of undergraduates, graduates and unemployed graduates and persons talk less of jobless females? Does the National Assembly come out with a programme on how to address high unemployment rate in the country and then package or send the resolutions to the executive arm of government for solutions?
Good a thing, Saraki expressed his concern over the sad development at a Public Hearing on Youth Development and Empowerment in Abuja.
According to him, “It is imperative for the National Assembly, the Executive and the private sector as well as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to focus immediate attention on youth unemployment and developmental crisis facing the country.
“The primary factors contributing to this high unemployment rate are high population growth, outpacing economic growth, outdated school curricula and lack of vibrant industries to absorb competent graduates,’’ he said.
These are fine ideas, but who will bell the cat?
Recently, news media were agog that the National Assembly had placed order for cars worth billions of naira for all the members. Yet, no member in the hallowed chambers thought of unemployed youths in his constituency. No member remembered that the country was passing through economic recession. No member was ready to make altruistic services for the redemption of an ordinary Nigerian on the street.
Again, there was public outcry on the exact monthly salary and other personal emoluments payable to each of the member. Members not even the Senate President came to clear air on the exact amount of salary is paid to them. It is alleged that the salary collected by each member in the National Assembly is higher than the salary of a US President. Nobody has denied or affirmed the allegation.
All these monies collected by each member of the Green and Red Chambers could create sufficient jobs for the teeming Nigerian youths including the females whom Saraki took special interest. Unfortunately, these “honourable members” would fight and drag for the inclusion of their constituency projects in the budget. Where these efforts fail, they go for “budget padding” to accumulate enough money to lavish on serious items and hedonistic desires. At times, they host their constituents for constituency briefings where empowerment in the form of fleeting items are doled out.
However, if there is a public ceremony, Nigerian leaders in the hue of Senate President would pontificate with righteous indignation, which to a discernible mind, smacks of hypocrisy and self-aggrandisement.
For Nigerians to take such sanctimonious advice, the leaders must show how passionate they are to the cause of their subjects. For Nigerians to take them with a pinch of salt, their leaders must prove in words and in deed that they are ready to do the talk and walk the talk for the benefit of all. Time for grandstanding is gone.
