Edo State Governor , Adams Oshiomhole, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to convene a national conference on youth unemployment rather than the convocation of a national dialogue, which he described, as a mere talk shop that will not solve the nation's economic problems.

Describing the proposed national dialogue as a misplaced priority, Oshiomhole said what would be more apposite with the present economic situation was for the country to hold a "conference on youth unemployment."

He spoke in an interview with journalists in Ado-Ekiti, on Wednesday evening, after a rally in commemoration of the third anniversary of the administration of Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

According to him, the country should place high premium on youth employment rather than wasting time on how to hold a conference that would not solve the myriad of crises bedevilling Nigeria.

Oshiomhole, who branded the conference as a frivolous exercise, urged Jonathan to rather deploy his energy towards how to make the youths more productive and competitive than convening national conference.

The governor urged the president to shelve the planned conference and convene another dialogue to discuss issues that were critical to the survival of Nigerians rather than discussing matters that could only appeal to ethnic sentiments.

He lamented that ‘too much talking’ had been the bane of the country since independence, describing this as the greatest undoing of the nation.

He said: “As for the issue of national conference, I have always mentioned that the problem of Nigeria is not talking; our problem is that we talk too much and no nation has attained greatness through too much talking.

“When people say let us dialogue, which dialogue? What I want is a national dialogue on unemployment. I mean, how to get our young people back to work.
“I want a national conference on how we can prohibit importation of some goods and ensure that Nigerians consume made in Nigeria products.

"I want a national conference on how we can revive the Ikeja industrial base, the Apapa industrial base, the Isolo industries, the Bompai and Sharandi industries in Kano, how Aba and Delta textiles can be revived.

“You know the whole industries in Kano produced me. Our founding fathers, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, competed on the basis of who was producing jobs, who could add values to lives; so this should be the kind of conference Nigeria should think of.”

Oshiomhole urged the federal government to deploy the larger parts of the country’s resources to tackle poverty among the populace and stop wasting time on frivolities.

sesanrota: Good Point by the comrade Governor himself, its high time the presidency realizes they are most Nigerian youth are graduating each year with little or no Job....its a time bomb.

lygn19:
What re they graduating out of school for...
So if d govt doesn't give d graduates job they re useless,
Let they try other options like entrepreneurship...
I am not up to 35, but I am a self made millionaire, I am proud to be my own boss. And I think u shud do d same...
All dz jobs question is really annoying.

sesanrota:

You don't know me and am not speaking for myself alone...
Everybody can't be an entrepreneur as it will choked up the system and are you telling me is every entrepreneur that is successful?
why do we have different trades and disciplines....
The fact is Govt isn't doing enough and the population is increasing daily and instead of thinking aggressively towards this direction, the reverse is the case, the comrade is only trying to let the Government know where needs to be prioritized for now instead of frivolous spending

Billyonaire: Oshiomole, that's just your lame opinion, my opinion is different from yours. I need SNC.

Oshiomole ought to know at his age that employment generation is principally private sector driven and Government can only create an atmosphere that promotes employment generation and not be seen carrying baggage of employment and saddled with recurring expenses from non-productive workforce.

I still believe that Oshiomole is not just ugly, he is getting sillier as other APC mosquitoes.

Billyonaire: Government can only create an atmosphere that promotes employment generation and not be seen carrying baggage of employment and saddled with recurring expenses from non-productive workforce.

sesanrota: Good Point by the comrade Governor himself, its high time the presidency realizes they are most Nigerian youth are graduating each year with little or no Job....its a time bomb.