Unemployment a time bomb - PENGASSAN

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has described the unemployment situation in Nigeria as a time bomb that can explode any moment, calling on the federal government to be practical in its quest for job creation.

According to a statement by the National Public Relations Officer of PENGASSAN, Comrade Seyi Gambo, the only way to win some of the war against crime in the country is through tackling unemployment challenges.

He said, “A look at the huge number of applicants at some recruitment exercises carried out recently, especially the Nigerian Immigration Service recruitment and the Delta State Civil Service recruitment, is an indication that government at all levels need to be pragmatic about job creation in the country.

“This is not a matter of statistics and figures alone. All the figures being brandished by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealla, where she claimed increased job creation by the federal government and reduction in unemployment did not reflect the true reality on ground.

“The high number of applicants in the failed NIS recruitment exercise and other instances that may not be known show the reality of the kind of problem the Nigerian nation has. Unless the issue of unemployment is resolved, various crises, such as insurgency, kidnapping, ritual killing, armed struggles and other crimes will not stop.”

Comrade Gambo called on the government to take pragmatic steps in fixing the nation’s infrastructural facilities, especially power, as a genuine step towards job creation and employment sustainability in the country, noting that worsening power situation in Nigeria also compounds the problems of the self employed.