The tradional ruler of South Ibie, Etsako West local government area of Edo State, Alhaji Kelvin Danesi II, weekend said that many graduates of higher institutions fail to secure employment because they can not even write application letters.
Oba Danesi said this during the 8th annual symposium of the Muslims Students’ Society of Nigeria, tilled “Harnessing the natural endowment for sustainable and formidable economic development of Nigeria,” which held at Auchi.
The Monarch who said that the education system in the country is in a sorry state at the moment, called on the federal government to declare state of emergency in the education sector as part of measures to curb unemployment.
According to him: “Nigeria should focus on what is giving us the challenges in harnessing the abundant resources in the country, and that is human resources. If we fail to develop our human resources, we can’t harness other resources that abound in the country.
“We must develop the capacity of the youths through education, if we must develop as a nation.
“If the government would listen, they should declare state of emergency in education, the area to start with is the primary school first, then the secondary schools and tertiary institution will take care of itself once the primary and secondary are enhanced.
“It is worrisome that graduates of instituitions can’t even write application letter and we talk about graduate being unemployed. The problem is that we have unemployed graduates. I am talking from my experience while in service,” he noted.
To correct this ugly trend, Oba Danesi said the nation needs to look at the primary and secondary school level and not just higher level by amending the curriculum and tailored it toward modern trend.
He explained that in doing this, the curriculum for both primary and secondary schools should include technical and vocational education, so as to produce employable graduates.
He added that while reviewing the curriculum, the teachers should also be trained properly on the new curriculum, an be motivated with improved salary
“I think if I am asked to review the salary of workers, primary school teachers will receive more than the managing director of government institions because they are developing the most important resources that will harness the abundant resource that we have.
“If we failed to do that we will keep lamenting because our graduates don’t not have the requisite knowledge and know how to harness those resources and we will keep depending on the foreigners to harness the resources despite army of intelligent youths.
Earlier in his speech, the MSSS, Zone B Amir, Quaasim Babatunde Odedeji, said the symposium was aimed at finding solution to the challenges confronting the nation.
Babatunde called leader at all levels to know that leadership is responsibility entrusted by Allah and should rule with the fear of Allah.
