Segun Odebunmi, an APC member in the House of Representatives representing Ogo-Oluwa/Surulere Federal Constituency, has urged Nigerians not to rely only on white-collar jobs, saying it is no longer sustainable in Nigeria.

Mr Odebunmi, also the Chairman, House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values, made the assertions while distributing empowerment tools to over 1,400 beneficiaries from his constituents on Saturday in Ogbomoso.

Some of the empowerment tools included sewing machines, deep freezers, grass cutting machines, grinding machines, hair drying machines, clippers and generators.

He said that over 40 per cent of Nigerians currently working in the government establishments were not engaging in one form of skill acquisition or the other.

“This shows that there is need to support people with other skills apart from government jobs,” the lawmaker said.

Mr Odebunmi said that the National Assembly would soon work on a Bill that would make it compulsory for students to acquire a vocation skill before leaving secondary school.

He said the acquired skill would help them to earn an income before graduating from higher institutions and should no more wait for the white-collar jobs.

Mr Odebunmi said that the empowerment tools, being given to the beneficiaries, would reduce the stress they were currently passing through.

He added that many rural communities, through his efforts in the constituency, had been connected to the national grid.

According to him, this will give the beneficiaries the privilege to use the deep freezers and other empowerment tools given to them to earn an income.

“Many have learnt one skill or the other, but don’t have the money to buy some of the empowerment equipment given to them today to work.

“Now, their skills will not be wasted any more with these gesture as they will start to earn an income with it.

“The National Assembly are now closer to the people and understand their needs, because the local government areas are no longer functioning effectively.

“We care for them because they put us there and we should be able to come to their aids when they need us and that is exactly what I am doing,” Mr Odebunmi said.

He, therefore, called on his constituents to vote for him and other APC candidates for them to continue to enjoy the dividend of democracy.

In his remarks, a Chieftain of APC in the state, Brimoh Yusuf, called on the people of the state to vote massively for all candidates of the party during the 2023 elections.

(NAN)