The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of deploying underhand measures in the allocation of the Federal Government’s 774,000 jobs, saying the jobs were being given to cronies of political office holders instead of an open process that will accommodate every Nigerian.
According to the main opposition party, the APC-led Federal Government has resorted to political godfatherism in the allocation of the jobs.
The party disclosed this in a Monday statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.
The party described as “illegal and anti-people” the method adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its administration in the allocation of the jobs, adding that it was an unpardonable injustice to the generality of unemployed Nigerians who do not have political godfathers and are not affiliated to any political party.
“While our party is not against the creation of job opportunities to Nigerians, we reject this crafty political allocation, which is a direct exclusion of hardworking Nigerians from opportunities that should have been open to them under an open and transparent process.
“The PDP notes that since the funding for the jobs is drawn from the national purse, the process should be completely apolitical in a manner that grants unrestrictive opportunity to all Nigerians irrespective of political affiliation, ethnicity or creed.
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“The PDP rejects a situation where, in each local government area, 800 slots of the 1000 jobs have already been pencilled off to political cronies while the remaining 200 openings are thrown open for contest to the public, which also include politically affiliated persons.
“The party stresses that such brash violation of the principle of fairness and equal opportunity by the APC and its administration, is a direct invitation to restiveness and acrimony in the country and as such, should be immediately rescinded in the national interest.
“Already, there is a growing uneasiness and restiveness among Nigerians, who would definitely be denied opportunity to participate in this national process.
“This is especially given allegations already in the public space that the resort to political allocation of jobs is designed by selfish APC leaders to corner the opportunities for selfish pecuniary reasons.
“Consequently, our party charges the Federal Government to rescind the resort to political allocation and only engage Nigerians through an open, transparent and all-inclusive process in the allocation of the 774,000 jobs,” the statement read in part.
The PDP called for an apolitical process by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) that involves the active participation of non-politically aligned community leaders in states.
“The PDP urges all well-meaning Nigerians to unite in rejection of political allocation of jobs while calling on all citizens that fall within the eligibility bracket to go to their local government headquarters and demand for their rights of opportunity to participate in the program.
“As a party, the PDP stands with the deprived Nigerians in demanding for equity and equitable access to opportunities for all Nigerians, without regard to any form of connections whatsoever,” the statement read.