The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has declared that the report by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, on escalated 33.3 per cent unemployment rate in the country is a direct confirmation that the much-orchestrated claims of massive job creation by the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress, APC, are mere statistic hoax being used to deceive Nigerians.
The PDP said the report by the NBS that no fewer than 21.7 million able bodied Nigerians had lost their jobs and means of livelihood while many more had become underemployed under the APC administration further showed the despairing and despondent situation that APC and its administration had brought the nation.
The remarks were made in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the leading opposition party, Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan, on Tuesday.
The statement reads in part: “The rise in unemployment from the alarming 27.1 per cent in Q2, 2020 to 33.3 per cent in Q4 2020, despite the bogus claims of the APC administration, confirms that indeed, there is no hope in sight under the Buhari Presidency and the APC….
“It is rather distressing that, as shown in the NBS report, that unemployment rate among young and very enterprising Nigerians, within the age of 15 to 34 years, had risen to 42.5 per cent; a revelation that put a lie to claims by the Buhari administration, of mass employment, job opportunities and economic empowerment of our youths.
“It is now obvious that under President Buhari and the APC, the Federal Government created jobs only in their fake statistics while in reality, they are taking no concrete steps to empower our hard working citizens.
“More frustrating is that the APC and its administration have promoted a huge racket where Nigerians are deceived to pay for non-existent jobs in ministries, department and agencies at alarming costs, ranging between N2 million to 6 million, depending on the agency.
“The APC administration, in its corruption, is allowing such evil enterprise, while millions of Nigerians are weeping on the streets after being defrauded of their hard-earned money, life-saving and pensions of aged parents by job fraudsters in official circles.
“The only achievement by the APC administration is the impoverishing of Nigerians and turning of our dear nation of hitherto very happy and prosperous people, into world’s poverty capital.
“Our party charges President Muhammadu Buhari to accept his incompetence, take urgent steps to recover the over N15 trillion allegedly stolen by his party leaders and allow more competent hands to revamp our economy before it is too late.”
