Th e South-west governors meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Monday July 24 refers. According to reports, the meeting which was attended by all governors among other resolutions declared zero tolerance for crime in the region, establish Western Nigeria Export Development Initiatives and change name to Western Nigeria Governors’ Forum. Th e governors deserve commendation for their coming together for this meeting in spite of the party diff erences. However, they need to be told that crime cannot be reduced in view of lack of employment opportunities for school leavers including graduates of tertiary institutions, economic hardship in the land, nonpayment of workers’ salaries and emoluments.
Th e blame for the above is laid at the door step of our government. And adage says, idle hands are the devil’s workshop. Th e menace of Badoo boys in Lagos, kidnapping, violent armed robbery are all outcrops of unemployment and economic hardship in the land. If the youths are gainfully employed, many will not take to crime. Also, public education has to be seriously funded if we really mean to reduce crime in our clime. Some schools in the South-west are under lock and keys. What do the governors expect the students to be doing at home, almost a year when the schools have been closed down? On the regional integration of the region, the governors should give fi llip to their talks because their meetings are turning into mere talk shops. No practical steps have been taken towards the integration almost eight years since the initiative began. Adewuyi Adegbite, [email protected]
