By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
Apparently sad about the rising unemployment rate across Northern states, Kaduna Youths Forum (KYF) has blasted the Comptroller-General of Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd) for failing to employ youth as measure to tackle the problem of unemployment and insecurity challenge in the North.
According to the group, there were high expectations from the Customs boss whom they feel should have used his highly exalted position to create job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth, who today have taken to different forms of criminal acts.
In a statement signed by the Coordinator, Ismail Mustapha Soba, the group singled out Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali, who they alleged has done nothing tangible to create job opportunities for them after working and supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) to win the 2015 elections.
The group in the statement further explained, “We recall how we were massively mobilised to join the nationwide 2012 fuel subsidy protest in Kaduna that later led to the downfall of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government.
“When we were invited for the protest alongside late Former Governor of defunct Kaduna, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, former lawmaker, Senator Shehu and Col. Hameed Ali himself with several prominent Nigerians, we did so with hope that our unemployment problem and the disturbing security challenges facing the North would be history.”
The statement however, alleged that since Ali was appointed the Comptroller General of Customs by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, he has neither employed any known Kaduna youth nor met with them to discuss their problems.
“We challenge him to make public the state-by-state employment records to prove us wrong. We stand to be corrected, from our records and information gathered, he has never employed any serious person in Kaduna into Customs, he just turned to Bauchi State.
” He should know that part of reasons Buhari appointed him as the Comptroller-General was to tackle chronic problems in service, including personnel shortage,” it added.
While stressing that personnel shortage would be solved with the recruitment of thousands of personnel for active duty, the group noted, “It was expected that he visits Kaduna regularly to feel the pulse of the ordinary citizens, as we speak, he has not found time to meet the youth that laboured for Buhari’s election victory.
“Even when a list of youth was compiled to assist them into Customs, he didn’t even the see the person who went to submit it, talk less of taking action.
“If nothing is done to make amends, we would be left with no option than to mobilise for his sack,” the statement warned.
