Some of the residents of Otun-Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti on Wednesday appealed to both the state and the local governments to create more jobs for unemployed youths.
The residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Otun-Ekiti, said that many of their youths who are graduates from various tertiary institutions have been engaging in motorcycling business, farming, tailoring and other menial jobs to fend for themselves.
They said that the state government should consider the plights of numerous youths who are roaming the streets after completing their education from various tertiary institutions.
One of the residents, Mrs Titilayo Ibidapo, a trader, said that she was not happy with the policy of the state government because many youths who are graduates have no good employment.
“I urge the state government to provide adequate jobs for youths, especially, graduates, who have been doing various menial jobs to fend for themselves.
“The local government has been promising youths on a yearly basis.
“We want our youths to be more useful in the society and not for politicians to be parading them as party boys and thugs during their electioneering ,” she said.
Another resident of the community, Mr Jacob Aina, said that two of his children who are graduates had been engaging in the motorcycling business for the past two years to earn a living for their upkeep.
Aina, who is a retired civil servant, appealed to the state government to create more jobs for youths in Ekiti.
He explained that some of the empowerment programmes of the local government are not continuous, adding that most youths are fed up with what he called fake promises from politicians.
Mr Godwin Ojo, a Civil Servant, appealed to the state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to consider the plights of the youth and create more jobs.
He explained that some of the major crimes such as kidnapping and robbery being perpetrated in the community were as a result of unemployment.
“With the increase in the rates of kidnapping, robbery and crimes in Nigeria, there is the need for the government to provide more jobs for youths.
“Youths are becoming violent by indulging in various crimes that they think will fetch them quick money,” he said.
Another resident of the community, Mrs Tolulope Abe, said that she was not happy with the numerous graduates who are yet to get good jobs after spending between four and five years in the university.
Abe said that her first child who graduated with a second class upper in Mechanical Engineering from one of first generation universities is currently learning tailoring to avoid being idle.
She appealed to the state government to provide jobs for the youth who studied hard in the various tertiary institutions so as to become useful to their families, state and the country after graduation.