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The
Nigerian Senate
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The Senate on Wednesday
rejected a motion for the payment of ₦5,000 monthly allowance to unemployed
youths in the country. The motion was sponsored by Philip Aduda (PDP, FCT) but was
greeted with shouts of “no, no” when he tried to explain it. Attempts
by the Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, to second the motion were disrupted
by the rowdiness.
Intervening,
President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, posed the question but the senators
responded along party lines.
While
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members yelled ‘’aye’’ in favour of the motion,
All Progressives Congress (APC) senators, who were in majority, rejected it.
News Agency of Nigeria report continues:
However,
a motion calling for the probe of the utilization of Subsidy Reinvestment and
Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) funds by the immediate past administration was
adopted by the senators.
The
sponsor of the motion, Babajide Omoworare, prayed that every naira spent by the
past government on SURE-P and other poverty alleviation programmes should be
accounted for.
When
the president of the Senate put the question, it was supported with a loud
“aye” from the APC wing of the chamber, with no dissenting voice from the PDP
side.
In
his remarks, Mr. Saraki urged the senators to take the issue of unemployment
very seriously and not play politics with it.
“We
should stay above party line on this issue that is so important. We have seen
growth in the last years but this has not translated to employment.
“Government
alone cannot do it; the private sector has a role to play and the enabling
environment must be created,” he said.
PDP
leaders have lately called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling APC to
fulfil their campaign promise of paying ₦5, 000 to unemployed Nigerian youth.
The
motion on Wednesday is believed to have been part of that call.
(NAN)
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