FG interested in devolution of powers — Ngige

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has said that the Federal Government is interested in devolution of powers to states.

He stated this at the first graduation of the Abia State Education for Employment Programme (E4E), in Umuahia.

Ngige said the Federal Government would want to see a situation whereby states could engage in ventures that would give them advantage and economic growth.

“We should give states opportunity to go into mining, agro-processing among others so that they would be able to develop on their own. Today, nobody needs to tell us that things are hard; we are where we are today as a country because we failed to plan,” he said.

According to him, “Some people think that devolution of powers to states is the same as disintegration, no, it has to do with building yourselves.”

He described agitations, Boko Haram, IPOB and others as products of idleness, saying when people were gainfully engaged, they would not have time for restiveness.

The Minister commended the initiative of the Abia State government in creating the programme which equipped 472 people with various skills.

In his remarks, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu said he piloted the programme to reduce unemployment in the state.