As the Ekiti State gubernatorial election draws near, former governor of the state and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Asiwaju Segun Oni, has decried the unemployment rate in the state, describing it as the main cause of rise in criminality and youths engaging in internet fraud and other unwholesome activities.
He promised to address the menace, if elected as governor of the state in the June 18 election.
According to a press statement issued by the spokesman of the Ekiti Build Back Better (EBBB) in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday, Oni stated this when delegates of the EBBB, a pro-Segun Oni Campaign Organisation (SOCO) group, paid him a solidarity visit at Ifaki-Ekiti recently.
The SDP candidate, who is seeking for the votes of Ekiti people to win the election and succeed the outgoing Governor John Kayode Fayemi, said an idle mind was a devil’s workshop, asserting that “Ekiti people have dignity; they are industrious, intelligent, brilliant and hardworking,” adding that they only needed to be provided the necessary tools to prove their worth.
The former governor said government alone could not employ every able hands, but that his coming as governor would encourage self employment by providing the enabling environment.
He continued: “Provisions of regular power supply, drinkable water, small scale loans and adequate security by the government will encourage small scale businesses.
“If electricity supply is regular, those selling sachet water, soft drinks, tailors, welders, hairdressers, barbers, television, radio and phone repairers will make sales.
“This is why my second coming is important to address these problems of irregular power supply, lack of drinkable water, stopping insecurity and providing loans for small scale businesses to end unemployment.
“Nobody wants to be idle, if they can get something doing which will fetch them money to feed themselves and their families.”
Oni recalled that during his first term, he was able to provide interest-free microcredit loans to Ekiti people.
“I established a financial empowerment scheme for many Ekiti people such as the bricklayers, mechanics, tailors, hairdressers, farmers, traders, commercial drivers, commercial motorcycle operators and welders through the interest-free microcredit loans scheme.
“This credit scheme lifted so many people from poverty, lack and wants till date as many used the money to finance their businesses,” he recalled.
Oni said his administration would lift people from poverty and unemployment, calling on the people to reject the All Progressive Congress (APC) “which government is responsible for economic woes of the people.”
He urged the people to go out to collect their permanent voter cards, saying “if you want a change, if you don’t want this APC government that has impoverished you to return, if you said you like Segun Oni and you want me as your governor, you cannot like me by mouth, you must collect voters’ cards and use them on the day of the election to reject the APC and vote for the SDP.
“The symbol of our party is a white horse.”
Packaged by Emmanuel Adeniran
