MAKURDI – Dr Matathias Oyigeya, Chief Medical Director (CMD), Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi, has urged Benue Government to embrace the private sector in finding a way out of its current unemployment deficit. Oyigeya made the appeal when he visited the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat, on Monday in Makurdi. He was at the secretariat to announce his intention to run for the governorship position in the 2015 if he wins the party’s ticket. “There is every need to consider declaring a state of emergency in the effort to address the unemployment situation. “The population of our teeming youths is too much for the three tiers of government to provide the necessary jobs. “So, if elected, I will introduce and encourage the private sector for the purpose of creating jobs and development. “The private sector must be encouraged to push the state’s economy and all the investors in the state should be made to fulfill their social responsibility. “We will boost the economy to end the cries of workers for improved welfare,” he said. The consultant psychiatrist lamented that over 5,000 graduates join the labour market yearly in Benue without any hope of getting employment. “Today, the Benue State University and Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi produce over 5,000 graduates who are looking for employment yearly without any hope of getting one. “A lot of people are afraid of retirement today because of the inability of the government to pay them gratuity and this is causing a lot of problem as the wage bill continues to rise. “To effectively achieve this, I will re-open all moribund companies in the state for the purpose of creating jobs and for the development of the state,” he said. “At the FMC for instance, I met a work force of 886 and between 2008 and now I have increased the work force to 2,463 workers. “They were all employed based on merits. During all this time there was no internal strike because I operate a participatory system of administration. “I created an outreach centre in the three senatorial district in Benue for the purpose of creating more employment and development to the rural areas.” He appealed to the Federal Government to established an infectious disease hospital to checkmate outbreak of diseases in the state. Receiving the governorship aspirant, the state Chairman of the party, Dr Emmanuel Agbo, said the governorship aspirant had ideas on how to remedy unemployment.
Agbo, who was represented by the deputy chairman, Mr Joseph Nyam, appealed to aspirants to conduct their activities peacefully and in a positive manner as they were bearers of the image of the party.
“You are among the 15 candidates who have so far formally informed the state executive of their intentions to contest for the governorship position come 2015.
“Based on your manifesto, it is clear that you have the remedies to the unemployment problem in Benue.
“Your manifesto clearly shows that you know exactly what you are looking for.
“Delegates are not for sale. They will vote for who they want. All these is to disappoint our noisy opposition on their perceptions about the party.” (NAN)
