Instead of national conference, the governor urged the president to organize a conference on youth unemployment.
Speaking in an interview with journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday evening, the governor urged the president to deploy his energies to make youths more productive and competitive.
While expressing support for the position canvassed by the national leader of the All Progressive Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Oshiomhole said the country should place high premium on youth employment rather than wasting time on a conference; “that would not solve the crises plaguing the country.”
Oshiomhole was in Ado-Ekiti to participate in the rally organised by Ekiti Governor Kayode Fayemi to mark his third anniversary of his administration.
The Edo governor charged Jonathan to shelve the proposed conference and convene another dialogue to discuss issues that are critical to the survival of Nigerians, rather than discussing matters that can only appeal to ethnic sentiments.
He added: “As for the issue of national conference, I have always mentioned that the problem of Nigeria is not talking. In fact, the problem of Nigeria is that we talk too much and no nation has attained greatness through too much talking. When people say let us dialogue, which dialogue? What I want is a national dialogue on unemployment; I mean, how to get our young people back to work. I want a national conference on how we can prohibit importation of some goods and ensure that Nigerians consume made in Nigeria products. I want a national conference on how we can revive Ikeja Industrial base, Apapa Industrial base, the Isolo Industries, the Bumpai and Sharandi Industries in Kano, how Aba and Delta Textiles can be revived. You know the whole industries in Kano produced me. Our founding fathers, Chief Obafemi Awolowo , Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Alhaji Bello competed on the bases of who was producing jobs, who could add values to lives, so this should be the kind of conference Nigeria should think of.”
He urged the federal government to deploy the larger part of the country’s resources to tackle poverty among the populace and stop wasting time on frivolities.
