Group raises alarm over rising unemployment in Rivers

2026-02-17 - 08:18

By Daniel Abia, Port Harcourt The Rivers First Movement (RFM) has raised alarm over what it described as the worsening rate of unemployment in Rivers State despite the huge resources accruing to the state. The Director General of the group, Maobuye Nangi Obi, who spoke to journalists in Port Harcourt on Monday, said it is unfortunate that since the inception of the present administration, unemployment has continued to rise, indicating what he described as the government’s inability to flatten the “catastrophic curve.” Obi said data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that Rivers State accounts for about 13.4 per cent of Nigeria’s total unemployment rate. He expressed anger that the state’s wealth has been “cartelised” and commandeered by a few individuals, while the majority of residents are subjected to penurious living conditions. The RFM Director General also alleged that state-owned schools are too dilapidated to serve as centres of learning, warning that the future of Rivers children is being sacrificed for what he termed the primitive accumulation of collective wealth by a few individuals using politics as a tool. He further decried the condition of public hospitals, waste management, and security, claiming that despite billions budgeted for these sectors, residents face unsafe streets and poor public services. According to him, many young people have been pushed into thuggery and social vices as a means of survival due to poor leadership and lack of economic opportunities. He criticised the political rivalry involving Nyesom Wike and Siminalayi Fubara, alleging that their conflicts do not reflect the interests of Rivers people. He also referenced Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his remarks on national political influence. Obi described the state’s socio-economic trajectory as disturbing, attributing it to what he called a shift from collective interest to individual gain and the sacrifice of public welfare for personal political ambitions. He said the group is mobilising residents across the state and in the diaspora for mass political action aimed at the socio-political and economic emancipation of Rivers State. Calling for an independent investigation and audit of all state financial transactions in the name of projects from May 29, 2015, to January 31, 2026, Obi insisted that Rivers people deserve transparency and accountability. He added that the group would resist any attempt to plunder state resources through inflated project costs and political patronage. “Never again shall our common resources be plundered to the detriment of our people. Enough is enough,” he stated.