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PhotoNews: Peter Obi Reaches out to Schools
How to create credible Jobs in Nigeria – By Emmanuel Onwubiko & Nneka Okonkwo, esq
Nigeria is currently witnessing some of the worst scenarios of joblessness especially of her productive populace who come out of former educational trainings without any sustainable hope of gaining credible and well paying jobs. For millions of Nigerian youth, finding good and satisfying jobs is as difficult as finding white falcons thereby exposing a lot of these young persons to varying degrees of crimes even as those of them that are decent enough to turn down tempting offers from crime lords have decided to emigrate to God knows where in search of the elusive greener pastures.
Successive federal and state administrations have all but failed to take concrete and credible measures to create sustainable environment for the millions of youth to become employers of labour rather than jobless youth in search of the elusive white collar jobs.
With increased rate of insecurity and high crime rate all across the country coupled with the systemic failure of both the federal and state administrators in the country to fix the largely dilapidated and grossly non- functional infrastructure so as to create the enabling environment for willing enterpreneurs with the capital to set up cottage industries that would create job opportunities to the jobless youth, the need to search for better ways of creating credible employment opportunities for the teeming army of unemployed Nigerians has become the number one national security interest. There is perhaps no other necessity that has become imperative than creating sustainable employment opportunities for the youth because of the indisputable fact that the idle mind is the devil’s workshop and as long as the productive youth cannot find credible and sustainable jobs both in the private and public sectors of the nation’s economy, they will sooner rather than later find ways of busying themselves and generate some incomes to keep body and soul together even if that means getting into conflict with the law through committing some criminal activities.
Constitutionally, the primary duty of Government is the protection of lives and property of the citizenry and the provision of effective welfare and the moment a Government in place fails either by omission or commission to effectively discharge her constitutional duty aforementioned, then the Government has not only failed the legitimacy test but has invariably and inevitably created the room and reason for the younger productive but unemployed youth to engage in different crimes including involvement in terrorism crimes all in an effort to survive and/or take out revenge on the larger society.
Knowledgeable sources have over the years found out that the population of every economy is divided into two categories, the economically active and the economically inactive. The economically active population (Labor Force) or working population according to economists, refers to the population that is willing and able to work, including those actively engaged in the production of goods and services (employed) and those who are unemployed.
Whereas, unemployed persons in the considered view of economic experts, refers to people who are willing and capable of work but unable to find suitable paid employment and those who have voluntarily left work (Word Bank 1998).
The next category, the economically inactive population refers to people who are neither working nor looking for jobs. Examples include house wives, fulltime students, invalids, those below the legal age for work, old and retired persons. The unemployment rate is expressed as a percentage of the total number of persons available for employment at any time (Briggs(1973).
Unemployment is a problem that each society faces, especially Nigeria as a nation, and each society must find a way to beat it. The question that however begs for an acceptable and scientifically accurate answer is whether the Nigerian Government is committed to finding solution to this hydra headed monster of unemployment? How far has the Federal Government gone towards creating credible job opportunities for the millions of jobless youth in Nigeria? How have the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory searched for sustainable panacea to the vicious cycle of youth unemployment in their domains? Has the Federal Ministry of youth done enough to create job opportunities and/or even effectively coordinated efforts aimed at creating the enabling environment for youth employment in both the private and public sector? Only recently when the Federal House of Representatives committee on labour and productivity visited the Federal Ministry of Labour it was discovered that the necessary financial releases meant for job creation have not been effectively released and utilized. It is also a notorious fact that the Presidential offices of Millennium Development Goals and the so-called National Poverty Eradication Programme [NAPEP] have all but failed to galvanize national effort towards creation of credible job opportunities for the millions of unemployed Nigerian youth.
How to create credible jobs in Nigeria has therefore become imperative and this is precisely what we have set out to hazard a guess hoping that the Federal and state administrations in Nigeria would pay attention and provide these job opportunities so that Nigeria would once more become peaceful and productive because any nation that neglects her youth sector is doomed.
Government can do a lot. The only problem is that in our country Nigeria, we always wait for things to happen before action is taken. Experts through their scholarly findings have severally suggested and we agree that Government can create credible jobs through the value chain in mineral exploitation, small and medium enterprises, by creating local demand and empowering local producers. The leading economies of the world today laid the economic foundation in small and medium enterprises. In fact, the strength of the American economy is in small and medium enterprises. This conclusion by scholars of repute is indisputable because even the British Government understands the essential economic strength of small and medium scale enterprises making it possible for the United Kingdom’s economy to withstand the ongoing global economic downturn which has adversely affected some European economies like Italy, Spain and Greece.
We have also discovered that Nigerians will gain a lot if Become they are empowered to acquire modern skills of the information technology and since Nigeria is arguably the largest market in the Black World, the youth can look for ways of developing their innate skills and talents to become writers or copywriters for others. From our extensive research we found out that for people that can write and enjoy doing so, rendering services as writers on the internet is one sure way to create a credible job in Nigeria. As they say, contest is the “king of internet”. There is no business that can survive on the internet without providing contest for its potential customers. A copy writer is an expert in writing advertisement texts that woo people to buy products and services.
We have also found out that education is the key to sustainable job creation all across the country. Government must rebuild the moribund educational facilities, engage quality and skillful teachers, equip the schools in the rural and urban areas with comprehensive sporting facilities to catch talented sports persons in their prime because sports have become big business and big employer of labour internationally. Nigeria must leverage on the enormous talents that abound among our youth, develop these sporting talents. In this direction, the Educational sector has a strategic role to play in creating the necessary skills that would enable the youth to become creators of jobs and not just job seekers. The Federal and 36 states’ administrations must as a matter of national emergency lay emphasis on EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION.
The fact as stated by some opinion leaders that Singapore has some of the best set of students in the world is because the Government of that country hires the best college students to be primary school teachers. The Nigerian government should employ students graduates as teachers and pay them very handsomely (they say everybody has a price). Each primary school teacher must have a master degree and must go to teaching school on a state scholarship. It is our considered opinion that about thirty percent of Nigeria’s annual budget should be spent on education as opposed to just 0.6% ( Somalia known as a failed state even spends more on education). Nigeria must spend quality fund in public schools and set up oversight strategies to ensure that these fund are actually committed to public schools because only then would Nigeria become a contender for the status of one of the most developed countries. Nigeria currently spends more on defense and less on education and the Government fail to realize that no matter how heavily the Government spends on the defense sector, if the productive youth are not adequately educated and empowered to become creators of jobs, then the Armed Forces should be prepared for a long battle which it cannot win.
Government has talked too much about the so-called ‘cassava bread’ to encourage the local producers of cassava but very little is being done by the Federal and State administrations to compel the financial institutions to provide soft agricultural loans and credit facilities for farmers especially in the rural areas. There is also the need to reform the land laws to collaterised local lands and make them collaterals for bank loans. Government must stop paying lip service to the Agricultural sector because that is one of the few sectors that can provide major sources of gainful and credible employment opportunities for the millions of unemployed youth of Nigeria. The current President Goodluck Jonathan Federal administration has talked too much about developing the Agricultural sector but for most Nigerian farmers nothing much have been achieved in this direction. Therefore Re-prioritization of Agricultural sector Nigeria is imperative since Nigeria is primarily an agrarian economy. Once agricultural sector is prioritized again by government, there will be credible jobs, a sum total of about 300,000 jobs can be created in the subsector this year (The Nation 2012).
The Federal Minsitry of Labour and the department of Immigration of Nigeria must do something to check the abuses of expartriate quota by multinationals who keep saturating the Nigerian market with lowly skilled staff from foreign countries even when Nigerians are denied such opportunities to work in some of these companies that are known to have cornered several huge contracts in the construction and crude oil sub-sectors of the Nigerian economy. Majority of these blue-chip companies are abusing the local content laws and the Government has not done anything to effect a change for the better. Government must therefore in our thinking, discourage the invasion of Nigeria by these poorly skilled foreign workers being brought in by some of these multinationals.
Nigerian consumers also have a role to play to encourage local manufacturing of items that can easily be made here rather than rely so much on imports from China. We should halt the inordinate desire for foreign products for which substitutes are available in Nigeria. The consumers must borrow leaf from the patriotism of the Chinese consumers by developing taste and patronizing locally made goods and services. Why for instance will the political elite paid and serviced with public money prefer foreign made furniture rather than buy made in Nigeria chairs and furniture? By so doing the market would be expanded and more jobs created.
Providing enabling environment for growth of local industry is a must and the electricity power sector must and should be revived. If public fund are not stolen by officials, then the possibility that Government can efficiently meet the challenges of infrastructural development in the entire country will become inevitable, and this in effect will help to launch the private sector into full potentials. Private Investment has significantly stronger effect on growth than government investment (Hernandes-cata,2000). As stated earlier Government should implement deliberate measures for the expansion of activities of informal sector by efficiently enforcing mechanisms that would enable private sector investors to overcome teething challenges, which revolves round the inaccessibility of credit to finance their activities. Supporters of Government current economic blueprint believe that there is a glimmer of hope, considering the ongoing policy of the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria, on microfinance banking, which according to their thinking is capable of leading to more jobs being created. Lastly, we think that Government effective implementation of policies can reduce the total level of unemployment by focusing on improving the occupational mobility of labour.
Leading Economists believe that for the Nigerian Government to achieve some of these noble goals, the nations needs some reforms of the tax and benefits systems like Government “Welfare to work schemes”- see new deal improvement on skulls and reduce occupational mobility. If the large percentage of the youth, are gainfully engaged or employed, they will have no time to dabble into criminal activities, and when there is peace in the country, every other thing will definitely fall in place.
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+Emmanuel Onwubiko and Miss. Nneka Okonkwo, esq, wrote in from Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria, Lagos office.
Obama Tours N.J. Damage as Half of State Without Power
President Barack Obama toured New Jersey’s hurricane damage with Governor Chris Christie by helicopter as rescuers searched for stranded residents, the death toll rose to eight and more than half of the state’s homes and businesses were without electricity.
Along the New Jersey coast today, residents and emergency workers began to clean up after the Atlantic storm Sandy made landfall on Oct. 29. They removed downed trees, pumped flooded basements and cleared sand and debris from roads. In Atlantic City, casino executives made plans to try to open on Nov. 2.
In the hardest-hit parts of the state, authorities couldn’t estimate how long it would take to rebuild. Along two barrier islands north of Atlantic City in Ocean County, where amusement piers and rides were destroyed, rescue crews checked houses to make sure everyone who wanted to evacuate had been taken away. With access to the islands blocked and homes that had been wiped off their foundations bobbing in Barnegat Bay, workers began to remove sand from roads.
“All of these shore towns have to be up and running by summer — that’s when everyone is coming down here and it’s what they rely on,” said Frank Howe, 50, a tile setter from Long Branch, a coastal community damaged by the storm. “People will still come to the beach. But we won’t have a boardwalk for them.”
Tourism Backbone
The state’s 127 miles of beaches, known as the Jersey Shore, are the backbone of a $38 billion tourism industry, New Jersey’s third largest. Last year, 67.8 million tourists visited the state, according to the state division of travel and tourism.
Casinos in Atlantic City, which claims title to America’s first oceanside boardwalk and is the second-largest U.S. gaming center, have been central to Christie’s economic revival strategy since he took office in January, 2010.
About 2.05 million residences and businesses, about half of those in the state, were without power as of 2 p.m., according to a U.S. Department of Energy report.
Eight people, including three who may have drowned, were reported dead in New Jersey as of this morning, according to Mary Goepfert, a spokeswoman for the state office of emergency management. Authorities are trying to confirm that each death was storm-related, she said.
Filling Shelters
There were 6,329 people in shelters across the state. Temporary housing in three counties — Morris, Passaic and Union– was at capacity.
Obama today arrived near Atlantic City and boarded a helicopter with Christie, 50, a first-term Republican governor, to tour storm damage.
“We’re going to be here for the long haul,” Obama said at the Brigantine Beach Community Center. “We’re not going to tolerate any bureaucracy.”
Christie, a surrogate for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, praised Obama, a Democrat, for his administration’s response to the storm. With six days left for voters to decide whether to re-elect Obama, the storm brought the two political foes together. White House officials and campaign aides said politics played no role in the visit.
“We’re going to work together to make sure we get ourselves through this crisis and everybody back to normal,”Christie said at the community center.
‘Jersey Shore’
On Ocean County’s northern barrier island, where episodes of the MTV show “Jersey Shore” have been filmed, a roller coaster was submerged and an amusement pier in ruins. More than a dozen small fires burned from natural-gas lines that had been attached to damaged or destroyed homes on part of the island, which includes Seaside Heights, Lavallette and Mantoloking, said Rich Peterson, a county spokesman.
Boardwalks along two islands were destroyed. Wood and other debris was tossed across the islands. The islands — about 40 miles long — are home to thousands of homes and businesses and officials haven’t assessed the extent of damage or how long it’ll take to complete repairs, Peterson said.
“We’ve never faced anything like this before,” he said.“The brunt of the storm hit us badly, everywhere.”
In nearby Toms River, on the mainland, residents were permitted to return to their homes a day after flooding forced them to flee. Some roads were still covered with water and fallen trees. The side of a house was sheared off, exposing a living room and kitchen with a table and chairs still in place.
‘Just Shock’
Tracy Brazaitis, 53, said she reacted with “shock, just shock” after seeing her home, which had four feet of water on the first floor. Her back porch had dislodged from the house.
“Who would have ever imagined this?” she said. “You see this on the news, but you never imagine it can happen to you.”
Nearby, Nancy Beiswinger, 60, discovered that the home she rents to a tenant was in tatters. The living room, kitchen and bathroom floors were covered with several inches of wet branches and twigs. A musty smell filled the air. Her own house, across the street, suffered a cracked foundation, she said.
“It looked like a bomb went off,” said Beiswinger as she started to cry.
In Long Branch, a city of 31,000 on the northern end of New Jersey’s coast, two surfers in black wet suits braved the churning Atlantic Ocean.
Flooded Basements
Hoses directed water to the streets from flooded basements. Lawns were littered with fence panels, downed trees and trash from upended cans.
At a beach-front townhouse development, Renaissance on the Ocean, crews used front-end loaders to clear debris. Shattered glass lay on the ground and balcony railings were ruined. On Ocean Avenue, parallel to the water a block inland, roof shingles and vinyl siding pieces lined the gutters.
In Atlantic City, blinking lights from slot machines could be seen only from behind locked doors. Flood waters had receded, leaving behind sand and debris. Casino executives met yesterday with state officials to discuss re-opening on Nov. 2, according to Tom Pohlman, executive vice president and general manager for the Golden Nugget.
“We have no damage and are prepared to open as soon as the state allows,” Pohlman said in a statement.
Casinos such as Caesars, the Trump Taj Mahal and the Showboat probably were spared from significant damage because of a project earlier this year to fortify the beach and build dunes, said Frank Branagan, a superintendent with Agate Construction Co.
Boardwalk Remains
The boardwalk outside those casinos was intact.
“You sacrifice your dunes to save your city,” Branagan said in an interview on the dunes.
The city, with 40,000 residents, was mostly quiet today as power remained out for more than 5,000 homes and businesses, according to Atlantic City Electric.
A crew with Atlantic City Electric pumped underground water out of a manhole next to Caesars casino to assess damage to the city’s electrical grid.
The storm caused physical and economic damage at All Star Liquors at New Hampshire and Atlantic avenues in Atlantic City, one block from where the boardwalk was torn apart.
“We had almost $20,000 worth of damage,” Vishee Mandahar, 26, said from inside his family’s store as workers pumped out water and mud and picked up glass from broken liquor bottles. The store was flooded with about a foot of water, leaving mildew and mud splashes on the counter and walls.
“By not opening we’re losing money,” Mandahar said.“We’ve got bills to pay.”
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To contact the reporters on this story: Elise Young in Trenton at eyoung30@bloomberg.net; Chris Strohm in Atlantic City, New Jersey at cstrohm1@bloomberg.net; Romy Varghese in Philadelphia at rvarghese8@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Stephen Merelman at smerelman@bloomberg.net
Counterfeit Currency Fraudster Docked
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on October 31, 2012, arraigned Abdullahi Bello, 24, before Justice Babatunde O. Quadri of the Federal High Court, sitting in Gombe on a five count charge of conspiracy, dealing in and possession of counterfeit Nigerian currency notes. The offence is contrary to sections 6 (2) (b) and 4 (1) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provision) Act CAP C35 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Bello who claims he deals on second hand clothes at the Sabon Main Market in Gombe, resides at Tundun Wada Pantami of the state.
He was arrested by operatives of the EFCC on June 14, 2012, following intelligence report in respect of a syndicate of fraudsters in possession of counterfeit Nigeria Currency notes who go around Gombe metropolis defrauding unsuspecting members of the public. At the point of arrest, 38 pieces of fake N500 (Five hundred naira) notes amounting to N19, 000 were found on him.
Bello confessed he was lured into the business by a neighbour who is presently at large. The accused confessed he had earlier this year been arrested by the Police in Gombe for a similar offence, but was granted bail. He also said he had introduced some friends and associates who are now at large to the fraudulent business.
Abdullahi Bello pleaded guilty to all the charges when he was arraigned, prompting Justice Quadri to adjourn the case till Friday November 2, 2012, for review of facts of the case before conviction. The Judge however ordered the accused to be remanded in Gombe Prison custody.
Kwankwaso removes “Kwankwasiyya” from the wall of Kano Government House
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From Kano State, Nigeria
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In an apparent policy somersault, as a result of the scandalous gaffe of the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice that Kano Government House may be named “ Kwankwasiya House”, the“Kwankwasiyya” tag has been removed from the newly reconstructed wall of the Kano Government House. The story of Kwankwaso’s intention to rename Kano Government House was exclusively reported by 247ureports.com titled: Kwankwaso to Name Kano Government House in his own Name.
The Kano Government House which was formally known as Sani Abacha House, was changed to its original name when Kwankwaso succeeded the military during his first tenure in 1999. He was alleged to have spent well over N1 billion to turn the place around before losing power in 2003.
With his second coming in 2010 under controversial circumstances, Kwankwaso started inscribing public properties in his name with intent to promote his personal ego using public funds. His action was however challenged before a Kano High Court by some Kano citizens. When the matter came up for mention last Monday, Maliki Kuliya Umar, the State Attorney General insolently declared that Kano Government House may be renamed “Kwankwasiyya House”. He was even reported in the local media as saying that “no one will stop us from continuing naming projects with Kwankwasiyya and no law could bar us from continuing to do so”.
This statement coming from the state Chief Law Officer generated much condemnation and opprobrium from the public that Governor Kwankwaso was said to have reprimanded the uncouth Attorney General and even went ahead to issue an instruction that the offensive inscription should be removed from the wall of the Government House. 247ureports.com visited the Government House today and witnessed the absence of the offensive “Kwankwasiyya”from the aesthetic edifice. The new wall surrounding the Government House was newly reconstructed at a whopping N760 million to replace the old one that had its parts furiously pulled down by some angry protesters during the fuel subsidy protests of January this year.
247ureports.com can authoritatively report that Governor Kwankwaso was furious with Maliki’s inadequacy in properly advising the government in matters that are clearly in direct confrontation with the law. The Governor was said to have realized that the unlawful and illegal inscription of Kwankwasiyya on public properties may lead to his impeachment. He was reported to have therefore issued an instruction that the inscription on other public places should also be discontinued henceforth. It now remains to be seen whether Kwankwaso would offer an apology to the people of Kano after removing the remaining inscription from all properties belonging to the public.
The Face of the Kaduna Church Bomber
Information available to 247ureports.com through eyewitnesses of the deadly bombing of the Catholic Church in Kaduna on Sunday October 28, 2012 at the St. Rita Catholic church – reveals that the body and face of the bomber has been found.
The body was discovered immediately following the Church bombing by vigilante agents and members of the Church who survived the bombing. According to an eyewitness who spoke to 247ureports.com, the sucide bomber drove in a sport utility vehicle [SUV] and rammed it into the target. The bomber was immediately killed and his body was ripped from waist below.
The identity of the bomber is not know yet. Security operatives are same to be investigating the identity of the bomber.
A total of 8 people were reported dead owing to the sicide bomb attack.
Akwa Ibom Deputy Governor Ekere Resigns
Information available to 247ureports.com indicates that the Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor, Mr. Nsima Ekere has resigned from office today, October 31, 2012.
Available information remain sketchy but unconfirmed information indicate that the Governor of Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio may have requested for the regsination of the deputy governor.
Stay tuned
Press Statement: Zamfara Killings Is One Raid Too Many, Says ANPP
The All Nigeria Peoples Party [ANPP] received with shock the gruesome murder of about twenty villagers in Kaboro, Zamfara State yesterday. It is surely very jolting to fathom the trauma that even the survivors of this heinous act went through as their night rest was abruptly interrupted by rampaging gunmen, resulting in deaths, sorrows and untold desolation. What will make the most hardened mind shudder is the reported story that the raiding criminals came into the village calling on residents of the area to remain indoors but ensure that their money and other valuables were kept within reach. Our great party is concerned that this is a sad statement on the value of human life in Nigeria. We condemn this, and other acts of wickedness against fellow citizens.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Dogon Dawa village in Birnin Gwari local government of Kaduna State was attacked in a similar way resulting in the death of over 24 villagers. What is more, Zamfara State was in June this year attacked by a gang of robbers who invaded Dan-Gulbi and Guru villages, moving from door to door as they shoot and slit the necks of defenseless villagers, leaving scores of Nigerian citizens dead. With so much money voted annually for security, our great party wonders what other stimulus is needed by the security sector in order to structure a water-tight and sustainable policing network that will include the hinterland, remote settlements and other rural clusters. The impunity shown by village marauders in recent times in carrying out their evil missions has clearly shown that the Federal Government has failed in delivering the first service to the people; that of security of life and property.
The ANPP therefore calls on The Police to go all the way in investigating the remote and immediate causes of this desecration of human life, in order to fish out the criminals so that a repetition would be averted. We also call on the Federal Government to reappraise its rural development strategies with particular emphasis on safeguarding and mainstreaming local seasonal commercial clusters. This is because as evidence has emerged, Kaboro village is known to realize a lot of money from the sales of livestock and farm produce during Islamic celebrations. As a party we believe that it is the first duty of government to protect the lives and properties of its citizens from evil elements even as they go about their legitimate occupation.
Signed:
Hon Emma Eneukwu
National Publicity Secretary
ANPP
31-10-12
Edo suspends teachers’ recruitment, alleges fraud
Edo State Government has suspended the recruitment exercise undertaken by the state Post-Primary Education Board (PPEB).
In a statement by Mr Peter Okhiria, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, the Government noted that “preliminary investigations into the exercise revealed that it was fraught with unwholesome practices as the exercise sacrificed merit on the altar of other selfish motives.
“Consequently, in accordance with our commitment to transparency and accountability, the exercise is suspended and the appointment letters issued are hereby revoked. All those purportedly offered appointment through the exercise are advised to stay away.
“Government will review the entire exercise and give room to all to re-apply and only those who scale through the fresh test which will be transparently conducted will be offered appointment.”
Edo State Government has suspended the recruitment exercise undertaken by the state Post-Primary Education Board (PPEB).
In a statement by Mr Peter Okhiria, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, the Government noted that “preliminary investigations into the exercise revealed that it was fraught with unwholesome practices as the exercise sacrificed merit on the altar of other selfish motives.
“Consequently, in accordance with our commitment to transparency and accountability, the exercise is suspended and the appointment letters issued are hereby revoked. All those purportedly offered appointment through the exercise are advised to stay away.
“Government will review the entire exercise and give room to all to re-apply and only those who scale through the fresh test which will be transparently conducted will be offered appointment.”
Obama Holds Leads in Florida, Ohio and Virginia as Race Tightens
Oct. 31 (Bloomberg) — President Barack Obama has a five- point lead in Ohio while Republican challenger Mitt Romney has all but erased earlier deficits in Florida and Virginia, according to a poll of likely voters in three swing states released today.
The narrowing of the race in competitive states mirrors a national trend in which several recent polls show the race tied or one candidate ahead by a single percentage point.
A CBS Times/New York Times/Quinnipiac University survey gave Obama a 50 percent to 45 percent edge in Ohio, a state without which a Republican has never won the White House. Obama has led by six to 10 points in earlier CBS/Times/Quinnipiac polls.
In Florida, Obama had a one-point advantage, 48 percent to 47 percent, after leading by nine points a month earlier. His 49 percent to 47 percent edge in Virginia is less than half of the five-point spread found in a poll earlier this month.
“After being subjected to what seems like a zillion dollars’ worth of television ads and personal attention from the two candidates reminiscent of a high-school crush, the key swing states of Florida and Virginia are too close to call with the election only days away,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Polling Institute in Hamden, Connecticut.
The states are among the battlegrounds that political observers of both parties say will decide which candidate wins the presidency.
Favorable Opinion
Romney’s surge in the polls tracks an increase in the percentage of voters who have a favorable opinion of the former Massachusetts governor. He’s in positive territory for the first time in Florida, with 48 percent viewing him favorably and 47 percent unfavorably. In Virginia, he has a 49 percent favorable rating and a 46 percent unfavorable one, his biggest positive spread to date. Only in Ohio does a plurality still view him unfavorably, 48 percent, compared with 46 percent who view him favorably.
Majorities of voters in all three states view Obama favorably, 51 percent in Florida and 52 percent in Ohio and Virginia.
Voters in all three states cited the economy as the top issue. Romney had an edge over Obama on that issue in two of the states, 49 percent to 47 percent in Florida and 50 percent to 46 percent in Virginia.
Auto Bailout
Obama held a 49 percent to 48 percent advantage on the economy in Ohio, where one in eight jobs is connected to the auto industry. Obama backed the use of government funds to rescue General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, while Romney was proposing that they go through bankruptcy with private funding. Mike Jackson, chief executive officer of AutoNation Inc., the largest U.S. auto-dealer group, has said it was a “fantasy” that private financing was available.
Romney is running an ad in Ohio saying that Chrysler plans to move production of Jeeps to China. Obama has responded with an ad calling Romney’s spot dishonest. Chrysler, majority-owned by Fiat SpA of Italy, is retaining and expanding its Jeep production in North America, including in Toledo. It also is deciding whether to expand into China, the world’s largest auto market.
By 37 percent to 25 percent in Florida, 52 percent to 17 percent in Ohio and 39 percent to 19 percent in Virginia, voters said their state’s economy was getting better rather than worse, and at least two-thirds in each state who said the economy was improving said Obama deserved a lot or some of the credit.
Middle-Class Aid
Likely voters said Obama would do a better job than Romney on helping the middle class by 51 percent to 44 percent in Florida, 54 percent to 42 percent in Ohio and 52 percent to 44 percent in Virginia.
“In general, voters prefer Obama on a majority of issues and characteristics and rate the two candidates roughly even on the big one — the economy,” Brown said. “Likely voters think Obama better understands their needs and problems, but more voters see Romney as a strong leader.”
The Oct. 23-28 telephone surveys of 1,073 likely voters in Florida and 1,074 likely voters in Virginia had margins of error of three percentage points; the Ohio survey of 1,110 likely voters had a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.
CBS/Times Poll
Separately, a national CBS News/New York Times poll taken before Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast put Obama ahead, 48 percent to 47 percent, among likely voters. Obama led Romney 49 percent to 46 percent in the poll last month.
In the CBS/New York Times poll, Obama was ahead among women, 52 percent to 44 percent, while Romney led among men, 51 percent to 44 percent.
Romney held a 51 percent to 45 percent edge on which candidate would do a better job on the economy and jobs, and a 54 percent to 39 percent advantage on the budget deficit.
While the nation’s unemployment rate slid to 7.8 percent in September, the lowest level since Obama took office in January 2009, it was the first time the rate had fallen below 8 percent in 44 months.
The national CBS/Times survey found voters, by 51 percent to 39 percent, supporting Obama over Romney on abortion rights. Romney has called for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that privacy rights entitle women to choose to have an abortion without restriction in their first trimester of pregnancy.
Medicare Bill
Obama also had an edge on handling Medicare, 51 percent to 42 percent. Romney’s running mate, Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, has sponsored House-passed legislation that would replace traditional Medicare for future recipients 10 years from now with vouchers to buy private insurance or a government plan with a cap on expenditures.
The poll of 563 likely voters taken Oct. 25-28 had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.
A survey released yesterday of Hispanic Christian voters showed Obama with a 63 percent to 26 percent lead over Romney. The poll by Gaston Espinosa, a professor of religious studies at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, cited immigration as a key issue in keeping Hispanics in Obama’s camp.
Even so, Espinosa said, undecided Hispanic Christian voters who are socially conservative might break in favor of Romney, who opposes same-sex marriage.
Romney ‘Opening’
This “could provide Romney with precisely the opening he needs to win over a small but vitally important slice of Latino undecided voters in key swing states who can help him win,” Espinosa said.
The Oct. 4-10 survey of 1,000 likely Hispanic voters who are either Roman Catholic or Protestant had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Obama announced in June that the administration would no longer deport undocumented residents who were brought to the U.S. as children, have lived in the country for at least five years, had no criminal record, and were in school or had a high school diploma or the equivalent.
Romney earlier this year suggested that undocumented immigrants self-deport and described as “amnesty” any efforts to give them legal status without first requiring that they leave the country. Then, during an Oct. 16 debate with Obama, he said he supports the president’s action to let the children of illegal immigrants stay in the country legally.
In an interview this month with the Des Moines Register, Obama said he’s confident he can get an overhaul of immigration law through Congress next year if he’s re-elected.
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–Editors: Leslie Hoffecker, Steven Komarow
To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan D. Salant in Washington at jsalant@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jeanne Cummings at jcummings21@bloomberg.net
