Independence Message From Ehis Abuya-Nationa Coordinator NAUG

AS WE HOPE TO CELEBRATE OUR NEXT INDEPENDENCE, I Ehis Abuya the national coordinator of National Association of Unemployed graduates (NAUG) want us all to take a moment and journey back memory lane. Let us look back at history and see how far we have come (from where) and where we shall be in the nearest future. Since our independence in 1960, today, I must say welcome from an age long trip.

Nigeria became a country in 1914 and Nigeria remains the most populous and dominant socio-economic entity in Africa, yet our human resources are either exported or treated like a piece of dirty rag.
Like a mirage it is to me if we are still slaves or free men. I believe our state of perpetual unemployment makes us worse than slaves. Slaves in those days were productive, slaves earned money, had more than enough to eat and even owned properties, the only difference is the physical body damages. 

What else could be worse for us if they call us free men yet we can't walk to the National Assembly and make our voices heard? Which pain could be greater than watch a few people less than 5% feed fat on our national revenue while masses live their lives like animals? Basically, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has a criteria of rating development and human capital is the greatest of all. We have numerous graduates in Nigeria yet we allow them "run for their lives" or "run abroad" or whichever way you would like to put it. Greener pastures my foot when even Philippines  Indians and so many foreigners come here and set up big farms, employ graduates only to pay them peanuts and use them like they've got no qualifications. 

Graduates are not just able-bodied men you can just pick up from the street. Each time I travel through our express ways, I weep in my heart like a broken-hearted lady guilty of infidelity. I weep like a helpless child after the pains of birth or like that of a mother in labour. That is how much my heart aches. 

You must be thinking about the bad roads but no way. I weep when I see thousand of thousands of hectares of virgin land yet to be cultivated. I weep when I see lands that can be use for farms and productive businesses been converted to prayer grounds where youth and healthy men and women who ought to be working,  there praying  and fasting for miraculous jobs on a cool windy Monday morning to fall from heaven.

Sleeping giants! At what time should we wake up? Isn't the honeymoon over yet? Men are scared of getting married; young ladies are going for men of their father's age just to break the feathers of poverty. It's so unfortunate that these issues affect us all, yet we are scared to make our voices echo resoundingly into the stone deaf ears of our leaders. 
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) apart from human capital development states some basic facilities that must be in place before a country can be considered as developed....very simple 

1) Education 
2) Health 
3) Food 
4) Shelter

I must confess to all Nigerians that none of these is basic in Nigeria, but luxury. Our leaders claim they are trying, well they think so because instead of engaging in economic development plans they are all involve in economic growth so it would manifest as fast as my eye would blink so that people can see and vote them in for a second term. 

The rate of increase in per capital income increases yearly in Nigeria but no visible economic development. Politicians and our leaders only engage in economic growth for political reasons, so we would say it's for national pride. Well, how about human welfare? How about jobs for graduates? Their entire economic growth project doesn't account for good quality of life, freedom or leisure.

We spend a lot building a house for the vice president.
We spend so much on international sport participation and pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem, while the people of Kurfi Local Government of Katsina have no shoes on their feet nor "Tuwo" in the belly.

Well known companies donate to international footballers to do their jobs, yet they can't create industries for us to work. The solution to scraping unemployment in Nigeria is industrialisation and mechanised agricultural production. OK! We don't need white collar jobs. We the Nigerian youths are ready to work on farms and be paid according to our qualifications!!The National Association of Unemployed Graduates hereby sees all these problems as inhumane and as problems that can easily be solved through using our brains. Our constitution has numerous aims and objectives, different visions and mission but all can be summarized as follows.

"To remove bottlenecks and create a situation of full employment for all graduates, and enhance socio-economic stability in Nigeria." 
Let us wake up and arise now, or remain fallen..
Happy Independence only to those willing to join the struggle against unemployment!

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Ehis Abuya

National Coordinator (NAUG)
07030717445
ehixking@gmail.com‪