NBC report on unemployment confirms Nigerian govt’s lies over job creation

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has issued a scathing critique of the Federal Government over what it said was its deceit about employment and job creation for Nigerians.

This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday, March 16, by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.

Ologbondiyan was reacting to the report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on the unemployment rate in the country.

Ripples Nigeria had reported that the 33.3 per cent unmoloyment recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 was 6.2 per cent higher than the 27.1 per cent recorded in the second quarter last year.

However, the PDP maintained its stance that the latest figure of the unemployment rate was a direct confirmation that the claims of massive job creation by the present administration are mere statistic hoax being used to deceive the people.

Furthermore, the opposition party alleged that the report by the NBS means that millions of able-bodied Nigerians have lost their jobs and means of livelihood while many more have become underemployed.

This has shown the sad situation that the government has brought the nation, the PDP bemoaned.

Read also: RipplesMetrics…Six charts that capture grim realities of Nigeria’s unemployment numbers

“The rise in unemployment from the alarming 27.1 per cent in Q2, 2020 to 33.3 per cent in Q4 2020, despite the bogus claims of the APC administration, confirms that indeed, there is no hope in sight under the Buhari Presidency and the APC.

“It is clear that the direct cause of the escalating unemployment is the incompetence, as well as the widespread corruption and treasury looting in the Buhari administration, where APC leaders are reported to have looted over N15 trillion, which should have been used to create wealth, develop our country and provide jobs for our citizens,” the PDP claimed.

It condemned the situation in which the unemployment rate among the youths within the age of 15 to 34 years had risen to 42.5 per cent.

The opposition party said that it was obvious that the Federal Government created jobs only in its alleged fake statistics while in reality, it was taking no concrete steps to empower the hard-working citizens.

“More frustrating is that the APC and its administration have promoted a huge racket where Nigerians are deceived to pay for non-existent jobs in ministries, departments, and agencies at alarming costs, ranging between N2 million to N6 million, depending on the agency.

“The APC administration, in its corruption, is allowing such evil enterprise, while millions of Nigerians are weeping on the streets after being defrauded of their hard-earned money, lifesaving, and pensions of aged parents by job fraudsters in official circles,” it alleged.

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