By Najib Sani
Bauchi
President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government said it created about 750, 000 jobs to unemployed youth in 2016.
A consultant with the National Committee of Buhari Support Groups (NCBSG), Professor Mohammed Tunde Usman, who asserted this yesterday during the North-east zonal meeting of the committee held in Bauchi, explained that the jobs were created after the disbursement of over N1.2 trillion by the government from its 2016 budget for the execution of capital projects across the country.
He noted that in the power, works and housing sector, a whooping sum of N350 billion was invested by the government that helped in revamping the nation’s moribund companies as well as generating over 200, 000 jobs for Nigerians.
According to him, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had conducted a survey which showed that aside from the 200, 000 jobs created by the power and housing projects, another 550, 000 people were provided with employments as a result of the government’s investment in infrastructural projects.
“These jobs would have been unavailable if not for the government’s investment. Before the advent of this administration, many construction companies were idle, equipment were rotten and their workers became redundant.
“With funds made available for these companies, they re-engaged their workers and employed new engineers, labourers and different kind of individuals to get the job done.
“These individuals now earn incomes to take care of their families. In that way, the investment is going back into the economy to boost economic activities of Nigeria”, he pointed out.
Earlier, the chairman, Board of Trustees of the committee, Senator Abu Ibrahim, represented by Zakari Jiya Aliyu, explained that NCBSG was formed with the mandate to coordinate the affairs of various Buhari support groups in the nation and assist the administration in enlightening the compatriots on its policies and programmes.
“It is our collective duty to restore this nation’s pride because we have no choice. This land belongs to all of us and we must be proud to work tirelessly to make it better for our children and our children’s children. Let the naysayers know that we shall never give up this God-given right”, he said.
