Ex-NACCIMA boss advocates job creation to tackle insecurity

A former National President of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Dr. John Agboola Odeyemi has charged government at all levels to increase job creation efforts as a means of addressing Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.

Speaking after a thanksgiving service to commemorate his 82nd birthday anniversary at Saint Paul’s Anglican Church, Diocese of Ife (Church of Nigeria), Ayegbaju Ile Ife, Osun State, Dr. Odeyemi, who expressed concerns about the state of the nation, declared that radical decisions should be taken to address various challenges facing the nation.

Odeyemi, who was also a former Chairman of Ecobank Nigeria Plc., explained that if the decision would lead to inflation in the country, there was no cause for alarm, stressing that massive job creation would save the country from many challenges weighing it down, especially insecurity.

According to him, “if there is massive employment, there will be no idle hands; if there is employment, there will be peace and people would be happy in their different homes.”

He blamed the political class for the current insecurity noting that all people who were used as servants and political thugs before elections and promised jobs were left to fend for themselves and there is a multiplier effect on jobless people.

“We now have about 30 million people in Nigeria without jobs. Also, parents do not have work to do and they cannot take care of themselves how much more their children. The acid test now in my opinion is let us go to public works. It is not about creating 20,000 or 30,000 jobs, it is more than that. Even if it will cause inflation, let there be work and let there be peace in the land.”

He also berated the government for allowing international marauders to penetrate through our already porous borders to inflict terror on the people and use them for political settlement.

Odeyemi, who is also the ‘Baba Ijo’ of the church said all what he was able to do for the church and mankind were to the glory of God adding that women and children are his main focus in terms of empowerment.

Earlier in his sermon titled: ‘Christ, the Resurrection and the Life’, the Vicar of the Church, Revd. Bishop Soji Ogunyimika, noted that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is very important not only to Christians but also to generality of people saying the resurrection brought peace, love, joy, happiness and salvation to mankind.