Ekiti Residents Urge LG Chair To Focus On Youth Development, Security—-The residents and indigenes of Ikole-Ekiti on Friday urged the Chairman of Ikole Local Government Area, Mr Bayo Omojola to focus on security of lives and youth development.

A cross section of residents and indigenes of the town, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ikole Ekiti urged Omojola to give priority to creating jobs for unemployed youths.

The residents said many of the unemployed youths were not happy being jobless seeing their mates busy making money on daily or monthly basis.

One of the residents, Mr Jacob Hassan, a commercial driver, advised Omojola to focus on security of lives of the residents and engage the youth by creating jobs for them.

Hassan said many youths were not happy and comfortable engaging in motorcycle business and internet frauds because of their background.

He explained that most of them engaging in internet frauds were as a result of peer group influence and lack of decent jobs in the community.

“I want to appeal to the chairman of Ikole local government, Mr Bayo Omojola to focus on engaging the youths with decent jobs for monthly stipends.

“Youths that are idle and unemployed can easily be lured into crimes such as kidnapping, internet frauds and armed robbery,” he said.

An indigene of the community, Mrs Bisola Ojo, a trader, said said the current economy challenges being experienced in the country needed both state and local government’s intervention to cushion the effect on the residents.

Another resident, Mr Biodun Aina, a carpenter, advised Omojola to equip the youths by venturing into mechanised farming and agriculture business where they could be gainfully employed.

Aina said it was true that white collar jobs were very difficult to get but the local government should create jobs for the youths in the community to take them out of the street.

He explained that most rituals, internet frauds and stealing were perpetrated by the jobless youths.

“My candid advice for our local government chairman is to improve welfare of the youths by creating means of livelihood for them.

“The state government cannot cater for all the welfare of youths in the whole communities in Ekiti, that is why local governments are created to cater for needs of the people at the grassroots, “he said.

Similarly, Mr Amos Agunbiade, a teacher, advised that the funds allocated for local government capital projects could be used to establish poultry business, fish farming and ventures that would create jobs for the youths.

Agunbiade said not all graduates could ride motorcycles or commercial vehicles for survival but some of the youths could be engaged in transport business if empowered.

He appealed to all the local government chairmen to consider the increase in numbers of graduates on yearly basis and think outside the box to create meaningful jobs for them.

“Some of the youths who are professionals, like teacher, community health workers and lawyers are not gainfully employed.

“A computer Engineering graduate with first class honour is currently riding motorcycles while some are using the knowledge acquired in the university to engage in internet fraud.

“This is the time to engage our youths to enable the community and the society remains at peace now and in the nearest future,” he said.

Agunbiade advised Omojola to give priority to youths development and security of lives and properties during his tenure.