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Bankole laments state of the nation

By Charles Coffie Gyamfi, Abeokuta
02 February 2019   |   4:14 am
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole has expressed concern about the worrisome situation of unemployment in the country and called for urgent steps to reverse it.

former Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole.

• Warns Against Mass Unemployment
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole has expressed concern about the worrisome situation of unemployment in the country and called for urgent steps to reverse it.

Bankole, who is the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party (ADP) in Ogun State, spoke during an interactive session with journalists in Abeokuta yesterday. He regretted that the local government system in the country has collapsed, ascribing the situation as a contributory factor to the country’s problems.

He warned that unless urgent steps are taken to create “sustainable employment, we are sitting on a keg of gun powder” and assured that creation of mass employment would be the focus of his administration.

The former Speaker appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do everything possible to ensure free, fair and transparent elections and urged politicians to comport themselves during their campaigns in order to avoid electoral violence.

Bankole said: “I am not aware of any person in Nigeria that is satisfied with our situation. And I think those in the business sector, the political sector; every sector is yearning for a better Nigeria.

“What we should all realise is that we are all in this together. We all have our responsibilities as leaders and followers, starting from our community. That’s why I keep referring to the Local Government, which is the most important level of governance. It affects us directly.

“The collapse of local government is what led to the establishment of the Community Development Association (CDAs) and Community Development Council (CDCs) across the Southern neighborhood. We just have to take up the responsibilities when others are not taking it.

“But we have to make sure that by our constitution, we take those roles whether chosen, elected or supported so that we can move on as a nation”.

Bankole assured: “We will do whatever it takes to bring multimillion dollars companies into this state. There is short, mid and long-term strategy for the companies. And we will stand by our agreement with them. When we need to renegotiate, we will renegotiate based on their survival.”

He stated further that as Speaker, he was able to attract about 250 projects to his constituency in particular and the state as a whole, mentioning the Ogun State Airport project at Ewekoro as one of such projects.

He debunked the insinuations that his efforts to become the State Governor are just an attempt to “wet the ground” for 2023, revealing that those behind the allegation were unaware that he had, for the past five years, put in place the machinery for actualisation of his dream.

According to him, looking at what he and his team had been able to do at the polling units, wards and local government levels, he was convinced that he had the required followers to win the election.

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