Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has said that more Nigerians are at the verge of loosing their jobs following high rate of insecurity and the attendant decline in foreign investment in the country.
Governor Ortom stated this on Thursday when he hosted officials of the Middle Belt Youth Organisations in Government House Makurdi on Thursday.
The Governor who expressed fear that many youths in the country are already jobless noted that a major crisis is looming in the country except something is done to curb the insecurity across the country.
Ortom said beside the decline of foreign investment, indigenous business people are also grappling with the insecurities making it difficult for them to invest.
“Today, I was listening to the media and were told that foreign direct investment in the country had declined. Even those that are business men in the country are no longer investing in any form of investment because of insecurity.
“The result is that apart from the unemployed people, those who are already employed would soon be jobless and add to the number we have already. That is a big crisis.
He, therefore, called on leaders, at the local, state and federal levels to join hands to provide security for lives and property of the people.
READ ALSO: Kaduna Strike: Northern Governors Call For Calm
Earlier, Coordinator of the Presidents of Middle Belt Youth Organisations and President, Benue Youth Forum BYF, Terrence Kuanum, said the youth organisations are deeply worried by the various security challenges in the Middle Belt region, particularly in Benue, Kaduna South and Plateau states which he said are being perpetrated by young people.
He said Governor Ortom’s effort in curbing the menace within Benue state was commendable saying the youths in the Middle Belt will continue to support his government and any other government that is championing the the interest of Nigerians, particularly the youth.
Kuanum intimated that the group was in Benue for a meeting and would be deliberating on issues among which includes the need for the Federal Government to evolve a national policy on ranching which will permanently end open grazing of cattle so as you put a permanent end to the crisis across the country.