The Nigerian federal government has decided to approach the fight against insurgency in the Niger Delta with a new method. In partnership with New Era Communication Limited, the FG says it will create 31, 000 jobs annually to take restive youths off the streets.
Mr Dennis Chukwu who is the project director of Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), revealed this during a three-day workshop tagged: ‘Career development entrepreneurship skills’ organized by the federal ministry of finance in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.
Mrs Josephine Chukwu, who represented Mr Dennis, the project director said: “The intention of government is to ensure that youths depend less on white collar jobs that make them sit tight, agitating for resource control without thinking of other options if they don’t get it.
“We want to open their eyes to be self reliant or employable rather than depend on government to employ them, and in a way tackling the rising wave of insurgency in the country, which is not profitable to government and the society.
“So, the essence of this programme is to help them think outside the box and see that they do not need white collar jobs to succeed.”
Mr Idris Sodiya who was another facilitator at the training explained that the programme which started 10 years ago has now being revamped to help more youths get off the street and stay away from militancy.
Sodiya also said that 31, 000 participants out of 41, 000 are exiting the scheme to become self-employed and employers of labour.
Meanwhile, a militant group known as the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDJM) bombed a major pipeline belonging to the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company on Thursday, September 29 in Delta state.
In a statement released by the militant group by its self-styled Gen Aldo Agbalaja, the group said the attack was a warning to soldiers in the region to desist from their Operation Crocodile Smile operation.