APC Senators Rejects N5000 Welfare Package For Unemployed Youths

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By Sadiq Umar, Abuja – The All Progressive Congress (APC) senators Wednesday rejected a proposal seeking to pay a welfare sum of N5000 monthly allowance to unemployed youths in the country, refusing to entertain the motion.Senate in session

The motion moved by senate minority leader and senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Phillip Aduda, pitched the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators against their majority APC counterparts.

Aduda, in the motion urged President Muhammadu Buhari to fulfil his party’s promise of paying N5, 000 monthly to unemployed Nigerian youths. ‎

However, the motion, seconded by minority leader, Godswill Akpabio , created a mild drama, with APC senators shouting “No” to drown the mover of the motion in rejection.

When President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, posed the question for decision on the motion but the senators responded along party lines.

While PDP members responded in favour of the motion, the APC senators, who were in majority, rejected it.

Saraki in his remark urged the senators to take the issue of unemployment very seriously and not play politics with it.

“We should stay above party line on this issue that is so important. We have seen growth in the last years but this has not translated to employment.

“Government alone cannot do it; the private sector has a role to play and the enabling environment must be created,” he said.

Aduda’s motion came on the heels of an earlier motion‎ by Bassey Akpan (PDP, Akwa Ibom), which seeks to curb unemployment in Nigeria.

Akpan had observed that job creation rate in Nigeria was grossly inadequate to keep pace with the expanding working age and labour force population, arguing that if the nation’s unemployed youths‎ were effectively engaged in gainful employment, vices such as terrorism, kidnapping and armed robbery would be reduced.

He urged the senate to call on the “federal government and sub-national governments to intensify their effort on employment generation activities in line with their various campaign promises”.

Meanwhile, the senate has adjourned plenary to next Tuesday.

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