A human rights activist, Chief Haruna Ahmed Osike, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intensify effort in completing the ailing Ajaokuta steel company and other steel rolling mills with a view to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.
Osike who made the call in Lokoja, Kogi state on Tuesday while addressing newsmen, said the federal government cannot effectively fight insecurity where youth that formed appreciable percentage of the population of the country are idle without meaningful jobs to plan their future.
He said :”One of the major reasons why security challenges is on the rise despite government effort to tackle insecurity is lack of jobs for the teeming unemployed youth which make them prone to all manners of crimes and criminality.
“It is obvious now that government have spent a lot to fight insecurity without tangible result. It is better for government to change strategy by engaging in massive job creation and one of the easiest ways to achieve this, is through resuscitation of Ajaokuta steel company and other steel industries in the country” he advised.
“Ajaokuta steel complex still remain the hope of Nigerians in job creation and revenue generation . The possibility of giving Nigerian youth jobs and bright future can not be achieved without due consideration for the completion of the ailing industry.
“We are again calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to channel the strength of his administration toward the reviving of all steel industries in the country. Aside Ajaokuta steel complex there are Oshogbo rolling mill, Katsina rolling, Jos and Alaja rolling mills that required urgent attention”
