UMUAHIA- Central Bank Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has expressed great concern over the rising insecurity in the country and called on the Federal Government to establish an Unemployment Compensation Policy to assist the teeming unemployed youth, just a way of redirecting their attention from crimes and other criminal tendencies.
As a way to make the programme effective and fraud free, Sanusi suggested the creation and maintenance of biometric and forensic data base for all Nigerians.
The CBN Governor spoke yesterday in Umuahia, Abia state, as a guest lecturer at the first Abia state Youth Empowerment Summit which also witnessed the distribution of over 200 vehicles, 700 tricycles and other equipment to youth in the state.
Sanusi spoke on the topic, “Youth Empowerment as a Panacea for Insecurity”.
He noted that in view of the current security situation in the country, “the government should adequately fund the security agencies through competitive remuneration, provision of modern security equipment and gadgets, training and retraining all security personnel to meet modern day challenges.
Decrying the level of insecurity in the country, which he identified as a big challenge to development in Nigeria, he said: “In the South-South and East, the act of kidnapping, youth restiveness and other violence have become rampant. Specifically, the spate of kidnapping across the country, the incessant wave of crime and armed robbery points to the fact that insecurity is a big challenge to development in Nigeria.
“Related to the above is the challenge by poverty level in Nigeria. Governments at all levels are unable to address this because there is no realistic social security programme in Nigeria to meet the people’s basic needs. This often provides the basis for desperation and criminally minded activities”, Sanusi lamented.
Sanusi also called for the provision of conducive environment and other logistics for security personnel; implore arms of government to uphold the sanctity of the rule of law and separation of powers as well as to reinforce the political system to ensure compliance with international standards and practices. Noting the importance of youth in any nation and the need for them to be provided for especially when they are not employed, the CBN Governor said that there was need for the Federal Government to emulate developed nation where social safety nets are provided for unemployed youth.
“The Government should institute an unemployment compensation policy in Nigerian to assist the teeming population of unemployed youth in the country to migrate into gainful employment.
“Consequently, the government should create and maintain biometric and forensic data base for all Nigerians. This would facilitate the implementation of effective and corrupt free social safety net scheme”, Sanusi said.
Commending Governor Theodore Orji for the youth empowerment programme, the CBN Governor noted that a strong relationship has been established between youth empowerment and insecurity, saying that Orji’s programmes were in the right direction.
Earlier in his speech, Governor Theodore Orji stressed the importance his administration had placed on youth empowerment, saying that it helped the state to effectively tackle the menace of kidnapping in the state.
Commending the youth for the role they played in combating kidnapping in the state, the Governor flagged off the distribution 200 vehicles, including buses and township taxis, 700 tricycles and other equipment, such as computers, sewing machines, among others.
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