Scores of University and Polytechnic graduates, working as commercial motorcyclists in Osun State have expressed their frustrations over the nagging economic hardship responsible for their present status, DAILY POST reports.
At Olaiya junction , the Chairman of the Okada riders at the park, Mr Wasiu jeje lamented the development and called on the government to address the issue of unemployment among the youths.
‘’We have many University and Polytechnic graduates among us here, who have graduated for long and could not get a job.
‘’ We had no choice than to help them when they came to us to help them get motorcycles they can work with.
‘’I even brought one of my neighbours that graduated from Federal polytechnic Ofa here some months back, and he is still doing the business, although it is not easy, but it is still better than staying idle, ‘’ he said.
Also speaking at the park, Mr Kehinde Alade, who graduated in 2009 from the University of Ado-Ekiti, said he became a commercial motorcyclist after searching for job for 2 years without success.
‘’I started this job after my search for job for over 2 years eventually proved abortive. I could not continue to stay at home doing nothing. I have spent all the money I saved during my NYSC on travelling.
‘’My plan is to be doing this work purposely to keep body and soul together pending the time a better offer will come my way, I am optimistic that this hard time will not last forever,’’ he added.
Another graduate in the business, Mr Isiaka Oyeyemi, a graduate of business administration from the Osun State Polytechnic Ire narrated his ordeal that compelled him to take up the job.
‘’This is the darkest moment of my life, the bad economic system in this country, and Osun in particular has totally annihilated my dream of becoming an astute administrator.
‘’ I have an ageing mother and siblings to cater for, being the first child of the family of four, our father is late and the onus is now on me to help the family.
‘’The job is characterised with a lot of embarrassment from those people who always look down on the whoever is doing this kind of job, but there is nothing one can do than to contend with it,’’ he said.
He, however, pleaded with the government of the day to take the issue of employment serious and always make merit a priority in the process of recruitment rather than party affiliation and ethnicity.
In the same vein, Mr Muniru Atanda, a commercial Motorcyclist in Modakeke-Ife, who completed his degree programme in History- education from Osun State College of Education has a story to tell.
‘’I completed my degree programme since 2007. I have not been able to secure any employment despite all my efforts. The most agonizing part of it was the last federal government recruitment.
‘’As a registered teacher, I have considered myself as a qualified candidate for the vacancy in the Federal ministry of education just to realise later that I was not shortlisted.
‘’The process of shortlisting was not transparent at all, those they eventually shortlisted were not registered teachers, it is so painful, the government must do something about it,’’ he stressed.
Speaking on the menace of unemployment in Nigeria, and the economic predicament in the state, an educationist, Mrs Anike Alonge said the rate of unemployment in Nigeria is dangerously alarming, and called for proactive measures to tackle it headlong.
According to her, the situation where graduates are working as motorcyclists is pathetic and uncalled for, adding that such development tends to erode the dignity of formal education.
Also speaking on the issue, a University lecturer, Dr Sukanmi Adeoba urged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for dignified businesses to strive, as a laudable alternative to white collar jobs.
He explained that a heterogeneous society like Nigeria could not totally absorb its productive population in its employment, hence the need for virile business environment.
“Government needs to do more on the issue of employment, I have never seen a serious policy statement that is capable of addressing the menace effectively.
” Look at the N.power Volunteer Scheme, it is now turning to a shamble, over 80 per cent of the volunteers in Osun have not received a dime since December, while the few who got alerts for December have not received anything since then.
“Obviously, that is not a scheme that will find lasting solution to unemployment, government must look inward and create enabling environment for business to strive. This will certainly ease the burden of youth unemployment,” he said.
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