Stakeholders decry 13.4% unemployment rate in Rivers
Stakeholders under the auspices of the Rivers First Movement (RFM) have described as unacceptable the 13.4 percent unemployment rate in Rivers State as published by the National Bureau of Statistics
Stakeholders under the auspices of the Rivers First Movement (RFM) have described as unacceptable the 13.4 percent unemployment rate in Rivers State as published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
RFM said such a rate of unemployment amid huge revenue allocations that had accrued to the state since 2015 called for an immediate independent investigation and probe of Rivers State government from May 29, 2015, to January 31, 2026.
The stakeholders spoke in Port Harcourt on Monday as they expressed concerns over the state of Rivers in the last 10 years.
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In a statement signed by its Director-General, Maobuye Obu, Secretary-General, Collins Nnodi, and Director, Publicity/Spokesperson, Saatah Nubari, the group said it was imperative to audit the two administrations.
The group insisted that under the administration, trillions of Naira had entered the state's coffers.
The stakeholders said, "We, therefore, beckon on people of goodwill to join us in the rescue mission championed by the Rivers First Movement to return Rivers State to its former pristine glory.
"To this end, we hereby use this medium to call for an immediate independent investigation and audit of all financial transactions in the state in the name of projects, spanning from May 29, 2015, to January 31, 2026. Rivers' people deserve to know this."
The RFM condemned the indiscriminate acquisition of wealth by a few individuals, saying it had impoverished the citizens and retarded progress in the state.
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The stakeholders said, "The socio-economic and political trajectory of Rivers State has, over the years, taken a disturbing turn, which is a cause for great concern. At its root has been the deviation from the collective to the individual; the substitution of the 'we' for the 'I'; the projection of the individual portrait over the larger picture, and the sacrificing of the progress of all Rivers people on the altar of personal political gains and selfish arrogation of the commonwealth of the state.
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"At no point in our history as a people, since our forebears united across tribal and political lines to push for the creation of Rivers State, have we found ourselves in such a debilitating quagmire.
"Never again shall our resources be carted away under the pretext of bogus projects with over inflated cost. Never again shall our common resources be plundered into the ocean of political patronage to the overall detriment of our people. Never again shall we fold our hands and allow privileged individuals to acquire and accumulate so much wealth to the disadvantage of our people. Enough, truly, is enough."
Speaking about the current unemployment rate, the group said: "Today, Rivers State accounts for about 13.4 percent of the total unemployment rate in Nigeria (NBS data).
"We must face the truth as Rivers people. The truth is that the wealth of Rivers State has been "cartelized" and commandeered by a few, while the vast majority of Rivers people have been subjected and sentenced to penurious living."
