By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN—THE Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Tunde Lakoju, has lamented the alleged failure by National Assembly members from the state to assist Governor Adams Oshiomhole in addressing unemployment problem in the state.

The Commissioner,  who recently declared his interest to run for the Edo North senatorial seat of the state come 2011, under the Action Congress, AC, noted that there were several opportunities at the national level that would have attracted projects that will provide employments for the youths,  but the federal lawmakers from the state failed to exploit them.

According to him, “the greatest problem we have today is that our youths have been abandoned, for no fault of theirs. Most of them are rebelling against a society that had let them down and that is why we see armed robbery, prostitution and violent crime  every day.”

The only was we can address these issues is employment. “It is only an idle hand that the devil engages. Governor  Oshiomhole is already doing a marvelous job in that area, but he needs some body to compliment him at the national level because opportunities are there at the national level but unfortunately the Edo side of those opportunities are not being harnessed because the people we have there, today are asleep.

Having worked for almost five years at the United Nations, I know the grants that are available at international for this critical sector of youth empowerment and taking care of women especially the widows,” he said.

Dr lakoju, a former House of Representatives member, stressed the need for capable hands that would assist the Governor in the development of the state to be voted in 2011, warning that it must “not be business as usual”.

He recalled that “ it was due to my dream to ensure good representation for our Afemai people that I decided to go to the Senate in 2007, but they did not allow any voting to take place. We woke up in the morning and discovered that soldiers and fake policemen had taken over the entire place, carrying ballot boxes all over the place. And we told every body to lie low.

“We thought we will get justice in the tribunal, we went there it was not possible. We tried the Appeal Court it was not possible. We now said God’s time is the best. And now it is God’s time and that is why I said I will run again. I am aware that three of my brothers are in the race.

I had spoken with them and I told them let us please conduct a decent campaign. Let us not go into mudslinging, let us not abuse ourselves because whoever emerges will need the other three to support him in the battle ahead,” he added.