The Rivers State Chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria has blamed the State Governor for the seeming inability of government to provide jobs for the youths.
The Publicity Secretary of the party, Jerry Needam, disclosed this on the occasion of the 2012 International Youth Day in Port Harcourt.
The party regretted that from 2008 to 2012, under Governor Rotimi Amaechi the rate of unemployment in the state has risen to between 60 and 70 percent, the highest in the history of Rivers State.
Jerry Needam said the State economy is in distress, following wrong applications of over two trillion naira accruable to the State, borrowing and regular overdrawing by the government, stressing that there are few signs of improvement in the nearest future.
‘Things are only going from bad to worse in Rivers State,” the ACN Spokesman said. “With the downward trend the Rivers State economy is in, the Rivers State Government is probably more likely to fall deeper into recession” Jerry Needam added.
The costs of funds of the Rivers State Government between 2008 and 2012 have jumped above 50 percent.
The ACN expressed worry over the alarming rate of Rivers State Government costs of funds.
The party blames it on regular issuance of bonds, loans and overdrafts, bad fiscal policy, wrong application of funds accruable to the State, inflated contract figures and mismanagement.
ACN further criticized the Rivers State Government under Governor Rotimi Amaechi for failure to provide jobs for the youths and the inability to reactivate ailing industries and establish new ones that would create jobs for our youths.
The party therefore calls on Governor Amaechi to give concern to job creation for youths in the state.
