UNEMPLOYMENT; Rivers States leads in Ignominy:
- Written by Ikenda Clinton Elechi
#FreeRivers
The recent Statistics released on unemployment revealed so many things to different people. All the while, some of us down South had thought the North was worst hit with the scourge of unemployment but obviously, we were wrong.
A few remarkable things about the stats reveal that Nigeria's wealthiest states i.e, the Oil-bearing states which receive 13% Derivation surprisingly had the highest figures.Leading them is Nyesom Wike's Rivers which receives the 2nd highest money from the FG with a whopping 41.82% unemployment rate.
Akwa/Ibom which receives the highest followed with 36.6% with Bayelsa closely chasing it at 30.4%.
This implies that the so-called wealthiest States are actually the poorest.
The Northen State with the highest figure is Kaduna with 29.0%
What this further shows is that between the top Southern and top Northern States on the list, there exists an 11% gap in unemployment.
Another fact is that the difference between an Oil bearing State and the top non Oil bearing Southern State, Cross Rivers is about 21%
In Sept 2017, Rivers State received 12.5B, Kaduna got 5.4B while Cross Rivers got 2.85B from FAAC
From that, one can see that Rivers received 7.1B higher than Kaduna and 9.7B higher than Cross Rivers.
Of the 1.859tr that accrued to the 36 states from the Federation Account in 2017, Akwa/Ibom received the highest with 143B,followed closely by Rivers with 119B before Delta with 111B. The sums are exclusive of 13% derivation to the littoral states.
Aside that,while information on the final tranche remains hidden, the first and second tranches of the Paris Club Refund saw Rivers and Akwa/Ibom States coasting home with 24B each while Kaduna got far lesser amount.
These amounts are exclusive of their IGRs which are mostly shrouded in secrecy.
With these mind boggling amounts,the question one maybe asking therefore is; what Rivers and Akwa/Ibom States have been doing with their shares such that they top unemployment data?
Sadly, the most logical answer is the failure of leadership. For instance,while it is easy to identify the policies of the Kaduna State Government on Agriculture and Education, Rivers State has no known policy direction on any sector.While Kaduna recently launched the most ambitious Agro industry in the North and a policy on Education providing for Students Grants, Rivers has maintained zero allocation to Agriculture since Wike's assumption of office.
At the moment, there are no known Agro activities by the State Govt nor an Education road map in Rivers.There has also not been an Investment Summit since the present Administration assumed office in the State.
The last known efforts in these regards were those made by the immediate past Amaechi Administration.
Whereas we may be tended to view the statistics from our various political standpoints,what is incontrovertible however is that the State is receiving whatever resources due it by the Federal Government of Nigeria, how she decides to expend it becomes her own business.
Another indisputable fact staring us in the face is that out of the millions of unemployed Nigerians, the highest number of them are either citizens or residents of our State, even though we receive so much from the FG.
Rivers people must rise up to ask questions on how the Wike Administration manages her Commonwealth, and whether such management has created prosperity for our people or further subjugated them. NGOs, CSOs,the Clergy and men of good conscience must begin to request accountability from the State Govt.
As 2019 beckons, Rivers people would have the option of continuing in the present shame and hopelessness or make conscious efforts at turning a new leaf.
Whichever choice they make must carry its own consequences.
Ikenda Clinton Elechi writes from PH
