Akwa Ibom monarch petitions senate presidency over unemployment
Two years into the implementation of the ARISE Agenda of Akwa Ibom State, the unemployment rate remains alarming, sending many youths on embarrassing errands and dirty political jobs just to make ends meet.
Worried by the trend, the supreme monarch of Akwa Ibom and Oku Ibom Ibibio, Ntinyin Solomon Etuk, during a recent visit by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, stated emphatically that the only problem that had consumed the state for decades is unemployment.
For over a week, the statement by the supreme leader has generated applause from indigenes and residents.
In a random telephone interview conducted by a correspondent, Akwa Ibom expressed appreciation for the concern of the monarch on such a nagging matter.
Recall that Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other members of the Senate leadership, the penultimate Friday, paid a courtesy call on the Oku Ibom Ibibio in his palace in the Nsit Ubium local government area.
The monarch, who described the visit as timely and auspicious, expressed shock and deep concern over the prevailing high rate of unemployment in Akwa Ibom State in particular and Nigeria in general, appealing for the urgent intervention of the Senate President.
“Don’t forget your brothers and sisters; my children, our children, all over, are suffering seriously over unemployment. Try as much as possible to ensure that our children have something to do. We are battling with youth restiveness in our communities due to joblessness,” the Oku Ibom pleaded.
He attributed the ongoing crime rates in society to idleness, occasioned by unemployment, appealing to all tiers of government to confront the menace.
He referred to the 2020 Akwa Ibom employment rate, which was put at 45.2% by the National Bureau of Statistics, making it the second highest in the country.
While appealing to the Senate President to pursue the actualisation of the Ibom Deep Seaports, the Oku Ibom believed that with combined efforts with Governor Umo Eno’s ARISE Agenda and with well-meaning individuals, the much-expected project would surely come on stream.
Responding, Akpabio pledged to place the project on the priority list of the Federal Government.
