As a way of revamping the nation’s economy which has gone into comatose as a result of Covid 19 scare, the President Umuahia Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Hon Chidi Nkem-Aruoma,has given cogent reasons, government at all levels should urgently provide job opportunities for Nigerians particularly those who lost their jobs during the covid 19 pandemic.
Hon Chidi Nkem-Aruoma, who dropped this in Umuahia, said the only way out of the recent collapse of the nation’s economy that was caused by the lockdown of business activities as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, is for governments to set up schemes that can absorb a good number of people who lost their jobs to Covid 19 pandemic.
According to him, reports had it that in South-Eastern Nigeria alone, over 200,000 job losses linked to hotels and manufacturing business were recorded.
The UCCIMA boss said that over 4,000 notable hotels and manufacturing companies across the South East, have completely closed down and their staff laid off, resulting from Coronavirus scare, lockdown and curfew imposed against the people of the area by their respective governors.
He said over 90% of Small and Medium Enterprises will not withstand the post covid 19 era, due to the level of losses incurred already in the period of lockdown.
Hon Nkem-Aruoma revealed that in Nigeria, private establishments are the large employers of labour and when they can nolonger meet up with this, it leaves a negative effect on the economy as well as a high demand for government jobs which are not visible.
He said government should be blamed for creating panic, lockdown and curfew in the system without due considerations that most Nigerians will lose their jobs if companies are allowed to shut down completely, maintaining that the shutdown of these companies gave rise to the groaning situation over the high rate of unemployment in the country, despite years of resourcefulness and entrepreneurship capabilities.
UCCIMA Chief further disclosed that soon after the lockdown those who were laid off resulting from Coronavirus scare and the existing jobless youths in their millions would be on the streets in search of job opportunities to enable them help themselves and family members, stressing that unless something drastic happens in the positive direction via the provision of interest free loans to manufacturers and SMEs operators to enable them re-absorb their laid off staff, then states should be ready to face criminal activities that may be associated with the increasing level of unemployment.
“Right now businesses are totally paralysed, especially the hotels, those that have few guests negotiated them out of their hotels since they cannot run generators with few guests. It will really take time to recover from the huge losses. The government should have discussed with the stakeholders before the lockdown to ensure some industries are not affected.
“Government should intervene at least to protect most of the employees that were laid off without salaries.
“Obviously, the lockdown will change the previous data on unemployment rate in the country and this rating can only be determined after normalcy has returned”, he stated.
While commending the efforts of the Abia state Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, who had before the lockdown, elevated Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) with the Importation of equipment and devices expected to flood Aba with a view to boost business in the areas of shoes and garments factories, which has helped in correcting the unemployment rating, said Federal government should bring up modalities that can rescue the nation from the impeding danger of unemployment.
