• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
AFRIPOL

AFRIPOL

en English
ar Arabiczh-CN Chinese (Simplified)nl Dutchen Englishfr Frenchde Germanit Italianpt Portugueseru Russianes Spanish
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Mission Statement
  • Articles
  • Book Review
  • Archive
  • Contact Us

Gov. Obi: Jobs as antidote to insecurity and criminality in Anambra

September 11, 2012 by Emeka Chiakwelu Leave a Comment

South east governors and deputies at Enugu meeting to discuss insecurity
photo credit: The Guardian

The fundamental role of government, which is without doubt the most important function of government, is the protection of life and property.  Anambra State’s center of normality is being swept away and distorted by insecurity. The adverse effect of this phenomenon contributed immensely to the retardation of economic growth in both urban and rural areas of Anambra State.  Capital flight, poor harnessing of human capital and dwindling of home coming of Anambra Diasporas can all be attributed to insecurity in the state.

To liquidate the ugly head of kidnapping and armed robbery in Anambra State, the massive unemployment must be tackled head-on by Governor Peter Obi.  The government of Anambra State should generate jobs by itself to fight against apathy and hopelessness among the youths that led them to criminal enterprise.

There are many positive developments and good news coming from Anambra State.  The leader of Nigeria, President Good luck Jonathan was in Anambra State to commission new industries including Orient Petroleum, SABMiller brewery and Onitsha Inland water port.

Governor Obi deserved some credits for facilitating the process and by making sure that these industries came to fruition.  There are criticisms to be made but this article is not about that, for I am more interested in finding the ways to elevate standard of living in Anambra State and to slow down joblessness among our youths.  There is time and season for everything but for now let us finish the job at hand, which is to find ways to provide jobs to the people of the state especially the youths.

The new industries in the state will surely make a difference by providing jobs to the people. Notwithstanding, the new jobs will not change the picture of unemployment in the state nor absolutely reverse the state of unemployment among the youths.  Without doubt, it is a down payment and a foundation to build on. With same spirit of revitalization, new ideas and breakthrough can be lunched to make a real dent on joblessness in Anambra State. Therefore kudos must go to those that are working for a new reality in the state including the responsible citizens of the state, business community and Governor Obi.

The stubborn truth is that unemployment among the Anambra youths is overwhelming. Those in the age bracket of 18-27 years have it real bad.  I do not have any credible statistics to back up my assertions but my wild guess is that unemployment among the youths should be over 60 percent.   When those that returned back to school for advance degrees as a result of unemployment are factor in, the number will be probably higher.

And here lies the major  problem of Anambra State  – the high and massive unemployment  including underemployment among the youths do spur and became the gate way to petty crimes that eventually led to kidnapping, highway robbery and massive insecurity in Anambra State. Therefore this is not the time to fold our hands and continue to pray for manna to fall from the sky.  God help those that help themselves.

Governor Peter Obi must take the bull by its horns and raise some revenues to create jobs for the youths. With the recent admission of Anambra as an oil producing states, more revenue allocations will be coming to the coffins of the state. The types of jobs that the government can create more quickly are as follows:

a) Environmental Enforcement Officers   (‘Refuse Police’)

b) Traffic Wardens

c) Building Inspectors and Code Enforcement Officers

The job responsibility of the Environmental Enforcement Officer or ‘Refuse Police’ is to enhance and protect the environmental and ecosystem integrity of Anambra Sate.  They will be parading on foots and bicycles looking out for those that are throwing rubbish and wastes on the street and into the storm drains. The officers will safeguard the refuse disposal containers and enforce the proper discharge of refuse. They will visit numerous auto repair workshops in Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi and others making sure that stores are kept clean and spent oil are kept with best management practice and disposed properly.

Traffic Wardens will be helping the police to make sure that traffic rules and regulations are maintained and obeyed.  Traffic Warders can be of great important especially in rural areas and places were the presences of traffic law enforcement officers are limited.

Building Inspectors and Code Enforcement Officers will be inspecting buildings in urban areas and making sure that the houses are kept clean and maintained to the standard of the original building plans.  In most cases especially in Onitsha houses are left deteriorated and paints become worn out. To make Onitsha a tourist destination, the building codes must be maintained.

The main intention for calling for these jobs to be created is to uplift the quality of life of the youths thereby occupying their idle minds and bodies. You know that “Idle mind is devil’s workshop”.  The idea is to give the youths less time to dabble into criminal enterprise. We cannot be naïve to believe that these jobs or any jobs for that matter will eradicate crime in a society. But by providing these jobs, the government will fulfill its own portion of social contract thereby compelling the people to live up to the responsibilities of citizenship.

This is not time to argue and critic these proposals to death. Of course in capitalistic society government does not necessarily create jobs but government makes the environment for job creation to thrive and propitious by having a conducive economic landscape.  By offering youths these job opportunities, the government is laying the foundation for the economy to thrive when insecurity and criminality are minimized.

Filed Under: Strategic Research & Analysis

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

More to See

 “I have no issues with Tinubu” – Peter Obi (video)

March 13, 2023 By AFRIPOL

Tunisian leader to ECOWAS chairman: “I am a proud African” (see videos)

March 11, 2023 By AFRIPOL

RSS AllAfrica News: Latest

  • Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Limps Toward Elections
    [CFR] An impenetrable electoral process in Zimbabwe breeds cynicism in the next generation of voters, to the peril of democracy efforts.
  • Sudan: Perthes Urges UN - 'Greater Support Needed to Help Sudan With Its Domestic Challenges'
    [Dabanga] New York -- Despite the improved political situation in Sudan, greater support is needed to help Sudan navigate domestic challenges following the signing of an agreement designed to facilitate the nation's political transition, Volker Perthes, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) told […]
  • Africa: A Microbiologist Reveals the Shocking Truth About Dirt and Germs in Hotel Rooms
    [The Conversation Africa] For most of us, staying in a hotel room is either something of a necessity - think business travel - or something to look forward to as part of a holiday or wider excursion.
  • Africa: UN - School Meal Programs More Than Just a Plate of Food
    [VOA] New York -- Nearly 420 million children benefited from free school meals last year, a new World Food Program report said Tuesday, providing an important safety net as hunger reaches unprecedented crisis levels worldwide.
  • Niger: Niger Credited With Negotiating Release of U.S. Aid Worker, French Journalist
    [VOA] Dakar -- The government of Niger says it negotiated the release of a U.S. aid worker and a French journalist who were held captive by Islamist militants in the Sahel region. Aid worker and missionary Jeffery Woodke was held for more than six years, while reporter Olivier Dubois spent nearly two years in captivity.
  • Nigeria: At Least 28 Journalists Harassed, Beaten, Denied Access While Covering Elections
    [CPJ] Abuja -- Nigerian authorities should thoroughly investigate incidents involving at least 28 journalists and media workers being harassed and attacked while covering state elections and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.

Tags

Achebe Africa Anambra Boko Haram Buhari CBN Corona Virus Egypt Igbo IMF Inflation Jonathan Kenya Nigeria Okonjo Iweala Peter Obi Sanusi Senate Soludo South Africa Soyinka United States
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Archives

Footer

Africa Political and Economic Strategic Center, AFRIPOL is foremost a public policy center whose fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of public policy debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free enterprise, democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights, conflict resolutions, transparency and probity in Africa.

Recent

  • Peter Obi replies Senator Nnamani who claims that he divided Nigeria
  • U.S. EMBASSY AND CONSULATE IN NIGERIA ISSUES PRESS STATEMENT ON GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION 2023
  • It’s my turn to be Senate President, Kalu declares – Punch News
  • Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have Declared war on the Global chocolate industry over cocoa prices (video)
  • (video) I Will Never Call And Congratulate Sanwo-Olu For This Sham Of An Election – Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour

Search

Tags

Achebe Africa Anambra Boko Haram Buhari CBN Corona Virus Egypt Igbo IMF Inflation Jonathan Kenya Nigeria Okonjo Iweala Peter Obi Sanusi Senate Soludo South Africa Soyinka United States

Copyright © 2023 · AFRIPOL