COVID-19, INSURGENCY AGGRAVATED PROBLEMS OF INSECURITY, UNEMPLOYMENT

COVID-19, INSURGENCY AGGRAVATED PROBLEMS OF INSECURITY, UNEMPLOYMENT - GOV AKEREDOLU

•Says His Administration Has Recorded Remarkable Successes

Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, has said the advent of COVID-19 pandemic in the world and insurgency in Nigeria have worsened the problems of insecurity and unemployment.

Governor Akeredolu said profitable and optimal engagement of the youth is crucial to a desirable future, adding that they constitute the largest percentage of the population.

The Governor spoke on Wednesday at the Exco Chambers of the Governor’s Office while receiving participants of the Senior Course 45 programme of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, who are on Study Tour of Ondo State.

The 46-man team was lead by the Faculty Leader, Commodore Promise Dappa.

Appreciating them for finding Ondo State suitable again for the Study Tour, Governor Akeredolu noted that the importance of the topic of the Study Tour, “Youth Unemployment and National Security”, cannot be overemphasised.

He explained that the challenges of insecurity and unemployment are hydra-headed not only in the country but in the world at large.

Governor Akeredolu said the prevailing unemployment in the country has now made some youth to seek greener pastures abroad.

He added that there is correlation between unemployment and insecurity, stressing that all hands must be on deck to address the problems.

Governor Akeredolu reiterated the need for state police, saying the stand of his administration is that a police command in Abuja can not serve the nation of 300 million people.

His words: "In spite of our meager resources, our administration has recorded remarkable successes in securing the lives and property of people of the State as well as in the area of employment generation.

“Optimal and profitable engagement of the youth cannot be carried out without the enabling environment of which security of life and property occupies a central place. There is no gainsaying the fact that security of life and property is the most basic duty of government, without which peaceful coexistence will be hampered.

“It is in the light of the foregoing that our administration instituted a time-tested developmental agenda, with the acronym: REDEEMED. The agenda provides the framework for our interventions in the areas of security, education, health and provision of infrastructural facilities, employment creation and so on.

“I am glad to inform you that we have been providing consistent financial and logistic supports to all security agencies in the State, including the Army, Navy, Police, Airforce, Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps etc.

“As the saying goes, “the taste of the pudding is in the eating”, I should like you to experience firsthand the remarkable achievements of our administration in the highlighted sector, as you travel around the State.

“The Study Tour has, therefore, been carefully designed to afford participants opportunities to directly see some of the achievements, particularly with regard to security and employment generation.

“Resource persons have also been carefully selected to do justice to the lectures you will have at our Public Service Training Institute, Ilara-Mokin.

“The State owned Security Agency, the Amotekun Corps, has also been doing wonderfully well.

“The success of Amotekun Corps in Ondo State in particular and South West of Nigeria in general underscores the fact that the security architecture of the country must be decentralized for effective security of lives and properties in Nigeria.

“Apart from the unfortunate carnage that took place in St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, on Sunday, 5th June, 2022 and a few isolated security breaches, there is relative peace in the State.

“The prevailing peace in the State, which is as a result of collaborative efforts of all the security agencies including the State own Amotekun Corps, has led to inflow of people and investors into the State.

“Our administration has also made significant progress in employment generation. Many professionals have been recruited into the State Public Service including health sector, teaching service, agric sector etc.

“Apart from massive investment in the hospitality and financial industries, we have also been able to attract a number of industries such as textile industry, cassava to etanol company, truck assemblage plant, etc. All of these are located in our Ondo Linyil industrial hub located in Ore.

“There is also the establishment of oil palm project termed Red Gold Project. The Red Gold Project has reduced youth unemployment in the State because thousands of youths are involved in the oil palm plantations and processing value chain.

“In line with our REEDEMED agenda, our interventions are also ongoing in provision of infrastructural facilities such as road construction, water supply, major intervention in the renovation and reconstruction of primary schools, provision of major infrastructure in our Teaching Hospitals.

“For instance, Ore Redemption Bridge was constructed in Odigbo Local Government Area; Oke Alabojuto in Ikare, Akoko North East Local Government Area; dualisation of some major streets in Akure, Owo, Okitipupa, Igbokoda etc.

“The above interventions have, no doubt, impacted positively on the well-being and standard of living of our people. Let me once again appreciate you for coming to Ondo, the Sunshine State. I wish you all distinguished participants a good time among the good and hospitable people and the richly endowed landscape of Ondo State.

Earlier, the Faculty Team Leader, Commodore Promise Dappa, explained that the purpose and objective of the study tour is for the participants to visit selected states every year to study the prevalent socio-cultural, socio-economic and security challenges in those states.

He added that it is to also see the efforts and various actions taken by the various state governments towards addressing those prevalent challenges.

"They are also required to establish a nexus between those challenges, the actions taken by those governors and the security of the states and national security as a whole. That is why this year, the theme of the tour is "Youth Unemployment and National Security of Nigeria,” Dappa added.

Richard Olatunde

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State.

November 23, 2022.

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