A former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniels (OGD), says governments could arrest rising insecurity in the country by creating menial jobs for the youths.
He said this during a meeting with editors Monday in Lagos State. Daniels, who recently defected from his former party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) also, said he did not switch parties to pursue any political ambition.
Explaining his menial jobs concept, the former governor said: “Remember I did it in Ogun State at a time people were shouting unemployment to the high heavens.
“I went on television and challenged them to bring to me anyone they found that did not have a job.
“I deployed them to work. I asked them to start painting churches and mosques in the state. They went into it and they were paid and were very happy with it.
“When the leaders of the places of worship saw what was happening they started praying for me and the government.
“The truth about this is that it will not take much, in fact, it will only take a small fraction of money being wasted on other things to pay the youths.”
He said unemployment is rising because the country was blessed with “plenty” of cheap labour that has not been absorbed into productive ventures.
He challenged the governments at all levels to consider his Ogun model and assured them that, if adopted, idleness would expire, jobs created and crime would drastically reduce.
He spiced up his concept with a similar thing that happened in old Germany where a former Chancellor that was faced with a similar rising unemployment dilemma, ordered the youths to be engaged in the digging of gutters.
But when he was later informed that the gutter digging was done with, he also ordered that youth start covering them.
Daniels argued that what the Chancellor did then was a practical way of reducing unemployment in his country because he was paying the youths for their efforts.
The former governor, who spoke on a number of issues in the polity that range from Atiku, open grazing to the political parties, among others, told newsmen that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar was not a pushover or walk over in Nigerian politics.
Daniels was director-general of Atiku Campaign Organisation in the 2019 election.
He said the former Vice-President gave a good account of him in the election, though did not win.
On the position of South-south governors regarding opening grazing, the former governor said: “What our leaders are to solid arising with southern governors; it sir in order.
“It is possible that if they had invited their northern colleagues to the meeting some of them too would have endorsed the position – banning of open grazing.”
Speaking on the agitation of some activists in the South-west zone for a sovereign Yoruba nation, OGD said: “The entire Yoruba nation is united and knows what they want of this nation in their aspirations.
“If our people have a choice to make, they will choose Nigeria, equity, justice, and fair play.”
Speaking on security, he said: “Insecurity in Nigeria has reached an unacceptable level.
“It is not time for responsible people to begin to shout party slogans. They should join hands to find solutions to the challenge.”
On the two major political parties in Nigeria – APC, and PDP, he said: “APC and PDP have no ideological differences. Members of both parties are also interchangeable.”
Daniels was governor of Ogun State between 2003 and 2011. He was elected governor on both occasions on the platform of the PDP.
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