Asiodu Advocates Ways Out Of Youth Unemployment

Okonta Emeka Okelum, Asaba

As the ugly effects of youth unemployment is increasingly unleashing horrible realities in the nation, an elder stateman has suggested ways out of the sad situation.

During yesterday's annual lecture organized by Njiko Aniocha-Oshimili at Asaba, Chief Philip C. Asiodu, the Izoma of Asaba, highlighted the present state, challenges and way out of the problem.

The theme of the annual lecture was built around 'Perennial Scourge Of Unemployment, Youth Restiveness And Development Challenges: Aniocha-Oshimili Axis In Perspective'

Sir Dr Brasca Ifeadi, represented and presented Chief Asiodu's lecture, titled unemployment, Youth restiveness and development challenges.

Chief Asiodu pointed out that youth restiveness and unemployment constitute the major challenges confronting the Aniocha-Oshimili Axis of Delta State.

He also maintained that there are other challenges that almost drag us towards becoming a failed state, entailing anarchy, violence, unimaginable destruction and suffering.

We need good patriotic visionary national leadership and good governance regime with attendant rapid sustained economic development, social progress and improved standard of living.

Chief Asiodu decried the lesser involvement of our youth population in vocational training, a reality, he said needs an urgent attention.

Sir Dr Brasca Ifeadi, sharing insights into why Aniocha-Oshimili youths are increasingly becoming unemployable.

Our youths are growing without necessary skills and poor quality education.

This reality, Dr Ifeadi, noted makes Aniocha-Oshimili youths easy recruits for crime, political thuggery, internet fraud, drug abuse/trafficking and militancy.

He mentioned that regrettably sending the youths into horrible prisons, injustice/brutalization of these jobless, hopeless youths only hardens them in criminality.

Our youths engage in illegal sale of communal land now practically exhausted, he pointed out has created enormous communal problems.

Chief Asiodu observed that the Aniocha-Oshimili Axis of the state, must formulate its own futuristic vision and agenda action plan, coherent with national futuristic vision and agenda action plan.

Aniocha-Oshimili has considerable resources yet fully exploited in Agriculture (cassava, maize, yam, Palm oil, fish farming); minerals (oil and gas, lignite,  kaoline), solar energy and human capital.

Increased cost-effective and non corrupt investment in education, industrial parks, health, roads/riverine transportation as well as upgrading the Asaba Airport to proper international standards, to make it a hub for the region.

All agro-allied sectoral production must be to best international standards with maximum value added for international trade.

To help realize this dream for Aniocha-Oshimili youth's escape from ugly effects of unemployment, discussants at the annual lecture, suggested the need for more financial support to small and medium enterprises; greater cost-effectiveness in administration and better governance regime; sustainance of greater self-discipline with a view at reducing corruption and greed as well as a return to all our cherished old values of honesty and transparency.

Chief Asiodu challenged the youths to boldly face the future.

You should not fear to be trail blazers as were your ancestors when colonialism and western education came to these parts of the world in the 19th century, Chief Asiodu charged the youth.

One ofthe highlights of the annual lecture was the inauguration of Njiko Aniocha-Oshimili youth wing by Chief Nicholas Onyeogali Chizea, Oshimili Atata of Asaba.

The annual lecture was convened by Chief Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN), Okilolo of Asaba, with Amb. Ignatius Chukwuemeka Olisaemeka, as the chairman.