Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has disclosed on Sunday, November 8 that the Federal Government will continue to address the issue of job creation and poverty alleviation of the Nigerian youths.

Mohammed said this while speaking with newsmen on the sideline of the meeting of governors, ministers and traditional rulers of South-West states following the EndSARS protest mayhem.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the one-day meeting was also attended by a Presidential delegation, led by the Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.

He said that the government would continue to engage the youths and address the issue of poverty alleviation.

“It is not as if the government has not been addressing the issue of unemployment. The newly launched funds by the government were actually aimed at creating job opportunities.

“What the government has done so far is to provide platforms where businesses can thrive,” the minister said.

Mohammed said that the purpose of the South-West meeting was to allow governors and other political leaders in the South-West to interact.

He also said that the federal government delegation used the moment to commiserate with the Lagos State Government following the attack it suffered recently in the EndSARS protest mayhem.

“It was a peaceful meeting and it was agreed that the state and the federal government response to the initial demand of the EndSARS protest were appropriate,” the minister said.

He said that the government would continue to invest in the development of human capacity, with more implementation of economic policies that will engender development and building of more public infrastructure that would empower the teeming youths.

Earlier at the meeting, the South-West traditional rulers blamed politicians for the EndSARS protest mayhem witnessed in the region in the last few weeks.

The monarchs expressed disappointment at the manner politicians had turned politics into money induced venture at the expense of the interest of the youth.

They opined that a high rate of unemployment among youths caused the agitation in the EndSARS protest.

“The governors have taken the right steps with this meeting. However, they have been far away from we monarchs. You should not wait till election days before you reach out to us. This type of meeting should come regularly.

“We know the good and the bad in our communities but we are under-utilised,´´ Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, said.

In his reaction, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, said the destruction had put the region in a complex situation.

“It is a complex and complicated matter. Our children are jobless and many are hungry. The problems are too much for the states.

“The states are not independent. The structure we run in Nigeria cannot allow state governors to do much for their states,” he said.

The Oluigbo of Ugbo, Oba Akinruntan Obateru, urged the Inspector General of Police to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident and fish out those behind the protest.

The Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu said that “truth is very bitter,´´ noting that majority of the problems were caused by politicians.

“The power of the federal government is too much. The security architecture of the country needs to be restructured.

“The problem we have in Lagos is security and unemployment. The youths have to be looked after. What happened is a pure case of a security breach. The entire system needs reformation,” Akiolu said.

Read people’s comments and reactions below;

Tosin Onibudo: Government can only provides jobs opportunities when we have people with working brain in power… Not with this bunch of dry brain calling themselves leaders.

Anthony Nnoli: While I appreciate their N-power scheme. But next time, I am voting for a government that has respect for democratic freedoms while trying to provide jobs and fix the economy because it is from these freedoms I can demand accountability from government

Ekeno Edet: Job creation for youth….. This people sef, dem think say we be mumu.
They will keep coming up with employment scheme that’s not yielding anything positive result.
The youth glamour for job, they came up with N-Power. Now no head way with that one. The youth have risen up again they want to come up with another one just to keep us running helter skelter thinky that the time has come.

Mary Esse: Oga we the youths will not be decieve again times has passed when you sweet talk us Lia Mohammed ,we need to seek working

Uchenna Delight: Nigeria government before you address the issue of job creation first take a good count of youths that are unemployed, underemployed and estimate the cost of living in Nigeria. Sharing 10k to mostly northern youths as empowerment fund is not a way of addressing job problem in Nigeria. The government should sometimes know that many of these youths are people with good and workable brains and shouldn’t be treated as fools or nobody at all times.

Otuekong Henry: The Nigerian Sovereignty as collapse, this collapse of sovereignty means, whatsoever our government promises us, we are to expect it in a teaspoon, because they too depends on another country to fulfill this promises. Which means these Promises is as good as the country they depend on, which this country at some point might change her mind, because this country will detect for us what they morally accept, if only we want economic value. And so we can’t tell them that we are against certain moral practices, beacuse if we do, they will tell us we are not part of the global economy. So Nigerian start expecting the gay law, same-sex marriage, abortion law, beastility etc. This government has sold us out.