Drama At Senate Over President Buhari’s ₦5000 Promise To Unemployed Nigerians

There was mild drama at the senate on Wednesday, as All Progressives Congress (APC) senators and those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) squabbled over a motion by Philip Aduda, senate minority leader, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to fulfill his party’s promise of paying N5,000 monthly to unemployed Nigerian youths. ‎

The motion, which was seconded by Godswill Akpabio (senate minority leader), generated hot air, as APC senators shot it down. Aduda’s motion followed an earlier motion‎ on the need to curb unemployment in Nigeria by Bassey Akpan (Akwa Ibom northeast).

Akpan had observed that the rate of job creation in Nigeria was grossly inadequate to keep pace with the expanding working age and labour force population. He said he believed that if the nation’s unemployed youths‎ were effectively engaged in gainful employment, vices such as terrorism, kidnapping and armed robbery would be reduced. ‎

Akpan therefore urged the senate to call on the “federal government and sub-national governments to intensify their effort on employment generation activities in line with their various campaign promises”. The was motion adopted, however, after some amendments were made to it. The senate adjourned to next Tuesday.