Politics
‘Everything is not about money’ — FG cautions youths seeking employment abroad
The federal government has cautioned youths seeking employment opportunities abroad to be careful, so as not to end up as victims of trafficking.
Memunat Idu-Lah, director of international cultural relations in the ministry of information and culture, stated this in an interview with NAN today.
Idu-Lah, who advised youths to seek opportunities within the country, said there are different empowerment programmes of the federal government that can enable youths to be productive.
“Our youths should look inward and be creative. Everybody has one creativity or the other. Everybody has something they’re born to do in this world,” she said.
“I think we should discourage the youths from going out. If they need support, there are some government agencies saddled with the responsibility of providing many empowerment programmes.
“These agencies can support youths to learn something and be productive, rather than looking at running out. We should not think of going out. We should try to look inward and believe in government’s programmes.
“The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) is there, and so many programmes that the government has put in place to help the youths — to encourage them.”
The director also cautioned youths against falling prey to traffickers in their quest to seek employment abroad.
“The people coming to take them will not tell them the truth. It is only when the children are out of the village and they are with their traffickers alone, that’s when sometimes, it is too late and they can’t go back,” Idu-Lah said.
“So, they have to know that everything is not [about] money. The children can stay back in Nigeria, even help Nigeria’s economy, because when they use their hands to do something creative, they can add to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation, instead of even losing our good hands in the name of trafficking and they die in the process.
“Both ways, we are trying to help the economy and we are also trying to save lives that are going to be lost. We hear cases of organ trafficking, organ sales. They kill people in the process and sell their organs — all sorts of things are going on.
“We are going to use the commemoration of this year’s World Slavery and its Abolition Day to create awareness on the effects of these vices.”
Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, is well ahead of his compatriots in the Ondo governorship election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commenced the announcement of the results at midnight on Saturday.
So far, results from 15 local government areas (LGAs) have been announced, with three outstanding.
Aiyedatiwa has polled 268,144 votes so far, while Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has secured 79,125 votes and Abbas Mimiko of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has won 2,365.
The APC candidate, who is the incumbent governor, has won in all the 15 LGAs, including the strongholds of his challengers.
Results from Ilaje, Ese-Odo and Odigbo LGAs are still being expected at the collation centre.
The collation exercise was adjourned till 12pm by the INEC returning officer for the election.
Meanwhile, on the INEC result viewing portal, 99 percent of the governorship election results have been uploaded.
The election, which took place on Saturday, was largely peaceful and devoid of violence in most parts of the state.
However, journalists and civil society organisations observed several cases of vote trading.
“This situation has continued unabatedly and heightened in this election. It is worrying that, despite the high presence of security personnel at the polling units, vote trading went on openly unchecked during the voting hours,” the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room said in its preliminary assessment.
Personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) have apprehended a suspected vote buyer in the ongoing Ondo governorship election.
The man was nabbed on election day at ward 4, polling unit 007, outside St Stephen’s Primary School, Akure.
Television footage showed the operatives and passers-by bellowing on the man to open the boot of his Toyota Camry car. Once he did, two ‘Ghana-must-go’ bags were seen sitting pretty.
The bags were not opened before the cameras as a mob encircled.
The DSS operatives then shoved the man into a white bus from where he was spirited away.
Vote-buying has become commonplace in Nigeria’s elections. Civil society organisations continue to bemoan the trend where agents of political parties carry cash to polling units to induce voters to cast their ballots a certain way.
Betty Akeredolu, widow of the late Rotimi Akeredolu, former governor of Ondo, has been criticised for comparing the US presidential election to Nigeria’s 2023 general election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Betty juxtaposed the period it took to count and announce winners in both polls.
She has also been berated for calling Nigeria a zoo while responding to critics of her posts on the elections.
“When dishonesty is prioritised, simple things become difficult,” she said of Nigeria’s election.
“2023 Nigerian Presidential Election: Total Votes Cast: 25 million, Counting Duration: 5 days. 2024 U.S Presidential Election: Total Votes Cast: 155 million. Counting Duration: Approx. 10 hours.”
In another post, she said, “I made an honest but harmless observation on Nigerian and US presidential elections. Twitter is now on fire. Truth hurts and hurts with tribal colouration”.
“If the 2023 election presidential benefitted you as an individual or group, was that the best Nigeria could offer? Alas, they turned it into a tribal war of words. Nigeria is irredeemable! So sad,” she added.
“Very bitter indeed! Who will rescue Nigeria? What a zoo country!”
One Adegoke Adebisi said counting of votes continues in the US despite the announcement of Donald Trump as president-elect.
“This is not factual. The election was determined in 10 hours but counting continued till Friday, but results were posted live,” Adebisi said in response to Betty’s post.
“Grandma doesn’t even know what electoral college is, she thinks they count each ballot in the US election to declare Trump. You don’t even have the moral justification to criticise a system ur husband benefited from,” another post reads.
Here are a few more posts.
https://twitter.com/drdebodun/status/1856744000608236008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1856744000608236008%7Ctwgr%5E610290c57da8066b2fca89158d8fe9ca93d32190%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecable.ng%2Fsame-country-that-made-you-outrage-as-betty-akeredolu-calls-nigeria-a-zoo%2F
https://twitter.com/Montero1016/status/1856742131454431616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1856742131454431616%7Ctwgr%5E610290c57da8066b2fca89158d8fe9ca93d32190%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecable.ng%2Fsame-country-that-made-you-outrage-as-betty-akeredolu-calls-nigeria-a-zoo%2F
https://twitter.com/Olalekanakogun/status/1856732313867989117?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1856732313867989117%7Ctwgr%5E610290c57da8066b2fca89158d8fe9ca93d32190%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecable.ng%2Fsame-country-that-made-you-outrage-as-betty-akeredolu-calls-nigeria-a-zoo%2F
https://twitter.com/bigmorsh/status/1856955340027265067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1856955340027265067%7Ctwgr%5E610290c57da8066b2fca89158d8fe9ca93d32190%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecable.ng%2Fsame-country-that-made-you-outrage-as-betty-akeredolu-calls-nigeria-a-zoo%2F
https://twitter.com/AndinoAsuquo/status/1857236820884378041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1857236820884378041%7Ctwgr%5E610290c57da8066b2fca89158d8fe9ca93d32190%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecable.ng%2Fsame-country-that-made-you-outrage-as-betty-akeredolu-calls-nigeria-a-zoo%2F
https://twitter.com/Yakbel/status/1856982179915468879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1856982179915468879%7Ctwgr%5E610290c57da8066b2fca89158d8fe9ca93d32190%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecable.ng%2Fsame-country-that-made-you-outrage-as-betty-akeredolu-calls-nigeria-a-zoo%2F
https://twitter.com/xybox/status/1856754083534712983?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1856754083534712983%7Ctwgr%5E610290c57da8066b2fca89158d8fe9ca93d32190%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecable.ng%2Fsame-country-that-made-you-outrage-as-betty-akeredolu-calls-nigeria-a-zoo%2F
https://twitter.com/bolagy/status/1856749039435296911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1856749039435296911%7Ctwgr%5E610290c57da8066b2fca89158d8fe9ca93d32190%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecable.ng%2Fsame-country-that-made-you-outrage-as-betty-akeredolu-calls-nigeria-a-zoo%2F
https://twitter.com/tru_th_finder/status/1856751774981292493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1856751774981292493%7Ctwgr%5E610290c57da8066b2fca89158d8fe9ca93d32190%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecable.ng%2Fsame-country-that-made-you-outrage-as-betty-akeredolu-calls-nigeria-a-zoo%2F
https://twitter.com/TemmyAjayi1/status/1856999762458812578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1856999762458812578%7Ctwgr%5E610290c57da8066b2fca89158d8fe9ca93d32190%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecable.ng%2Fsame-country-that-made-you-outrage-as-betty-akeredolu-calls-nigeria-a-zoo%2F
https://twitter.com/MisterAdigun/status/1856978908266090986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1856978908266090986%7Ctwgr%5E610290c57da8066b2fca89158d8fe9ca93d32190%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecable.ng%2Fsame-country-that-made-you-outrage-as-betty-akeredolu-calls-nigeria-a-zoo%2F
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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.
She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others
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