Sanusi Urges FG To Create An Unemployment Compensation Policy To Assist Unemployed Youths

The rising insecurity in the country has left a lot to be worried about for the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor Mallam Sanusi Sanusi, who has now called on the Federal Government to create an Unemployment Compensation Policy to assist teeming unemployed youths. This he believes will discourage them from crimes and other deviant life styles and hence reduce the insecurity the country is facing.

He also suggested the creation and maintenance of biometric and forensic data base for all Nigerians.
Speaking yesterday in Umuahia, at the first Abia State Youths Empowerment Summit, where over 200 vehicles, 700 tricycles and other equipment would be distributed to youths in the state, Mallam Sanusi said the high level of poverty is the basis for desperation and criminality in the country.

Sanusi who was guest lecturer spoke on the topic, 'Youth Empowerment as a Panacea for Insecurity,. He said, "The government should adequately fund the security agencies through competitive remuneration, provision of modern security equipment and gadgets, training and retraining all security personnel to meet modern day challenges.

"In the South-South and East, the act of kidnapping, youth restiveness and other violence have become rampant. Specifically, the spate of kidnapping across the country, the incessant wave of crime and armed robbery point to the fact that insecurity is a big challenge to development in Nigeria.
"Related to the above is the challenge of poverty level. Governments at all levels are unable to address this because there is no realistic social security programme in Nigeria to meet the people's basic needs. This often provides the basis for desperation and criminally minded activities."

Sanusi also called for the provision of conducive environment and other logistics for security personnel.
The CBN governor noted the importance of youths in any nation and need for them to be provided for, especially when not employed, and added that there was need for the Federal Government to emulate developed nations where social safety nets were provided for unemployed youths.

Governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji had earlier stressed the importance his administration placed on youth empowerment, noting that it helped the state to effectively tackle the menace of kidnapping. He also commended the youths for their role in combating kidnapping, as he flagged off the distribution of 200 vehicles, including buses and township taxis, 700 tricycles and other equipment such as computers, sowing machines, among others.