15 million unemployed youth disaster waiting to happen — ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Saturday expressed concern over the inability of the various governments in the country to tackle the increasing rate of youth unemployment in the country.

It noted that with over 15 million of Nigeria’s educated youth population still depending on their parents even after graduation, a disaster was only waiting to happen.

ASUU’s zonal Chairman, Nanmwa Voncir, a professor, told journalists in Bauchi that the union was not aware of any tangible effort the governments were putting in place to help reverse the ugly situation.

He lamented that the unemployed youth now depended on their parents for survival instead of their parents depending on them, saying the development had devastating consequences.

Mr. Voncir said ASUU was not unmindful of federal government’s disregard for organised labour and court ruling against the National Electricity Regulatory Commission and Federal Ministry of Power asking them to reverse the increase in electricity tariff in view of the outages experienced.

Describing the increment as “unwarranted,” the ASUU leader said it would have negative effects on homes and businesses.

Mr. Voncir alleged that the federal government deployed its agents of destabilization at the behest of Bretton Woods Institutions and raised the pump price of petroleum products thereby causing untold hardships to millions of families and the Nigerian working class.

The ASUU chieftain also decried the current 42 percent inflation rate, which he described as “all-time high.”

He also noted that the security of lives and properties was being continuously threatened with increasing cases of kidnapping and armed robbery.

He said, “Government continues to pride itself to have halted the Boko Haram menace. But we ask, is Boko Haram is the only security threat in the country.”

Stating that “majority of Nigerians now sleep with one eye closed,” Mr. Voncir called on the government to improve the internal security across the country so that citizens could go about their lawful business without fears or hindrances.