Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday urged government at all levels to reduce unemployment with a view to checking rising insecurity in the country.
Okowa made the call when he received participants of Course 44 of Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna at Government House, Asaba.
He said the theme for this year’s study, “Enhancing National Security Through Socio-economic Development’’ was very apt, considering the harm done to the economy by insecurity and poverty across the country.
“According to the governor, several factors account for insecurity but when you have growing unemployment in the society, where people are neither able to fend for themselves nor have a determined future, the likelihood of them giving in to crime becomes very high.
“Realising this, every government and sub-national government, including local governments, must try to work hard to pull people out of unemployment and poverty.
“At the moment, we are very worried about the unemployment rate in the country. It is much higher even among the youths.
“We must ensure we begin to design policies and programmes that would continually engage our youths.”
Also yesterday, Okowa tasked leaders to always speak the truth for the credibility in governance and boost Nigeria’s image, globally.
Okowa gave the charge while receiving All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders and members from Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency, who defected to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at Government House, Asaba.
The governor, who was referring to a statement credited to Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, said he was disappointed at the lawmaker’s comment on his administration.
“There is a lot going on and we thank God for all that we have seen and all that is going on in Delta.
“What I am trying to emphasise is that only recently, one of our brothers sitting very high up there at the Senate, lied to Deltans.
“I usually don’t like to talk about people, but for the Deputy Senate President to make comments that he knows are not true, is a very unfortunate,” Okowa said.
“Truth is truth and it cannot be hidden; it is only a blind man that will look through Delta and say that under the current circumstance that this administration is not doing well. “