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A Kano State House of Assembly member, Alhaji Salisu Ibrahim, has urged Nigerian graduates to shelve their dream of white-collar-jobs and focus on learning skills and trades.
Ibrahim (APC-Doguwa/Tudun Wada), made the disclosure in an interview with journalists on Thursday in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lawmaker spoke on the sideline of a Public Lecture organised by Doguwa Local Government Students’ Association (DOLSA) at ABU main campus, Samaru, Zaria.
He said: “Sincerely speaking, whoever tells you that there is job out there waiting for you is a lie. When I graduated from university, I had four jobs.
“I got four offers; I got a teaching appointment with ministry of education, I got lecturing at College of Education, I got personnel status at Public Complain Commission then I got an offer from Triumph Publishing Company, Kano.
“I decided to drop all the jobs and go to media, I went there with a Bachelor of Arts, English as a proof reader but I tried to mould myself and move into the mainstream reporting.
“In the reporting aspect, I choose to be a financial journalist, which I headed the desk and moved up to editorial board member before I was moved to commercial manager, then I was called to assist in setting up Daily Trust.”
The lawmaker observed that the dreams of graduates of getting white-collar jobs was not forthcoming, hence the need for them to devise other means of becoming self-employment.
“If you ask them now, they will tell you that I read Mass Communication, I read Business Administration, I read Pharmacy, I read this or that, I am categorically saying that the young graduates can do a lot using their skills.
“It doesn’t mean that you must get job in your field of study. Take for instance Sam Nda Isaiah is a pharmacist, he read pharmacy from ABU he had his small pharmacy shop in Kaduna but he is into journalism and he owns a newspaper,” he said.
Ibrahim observed that no matter the A ones (A1s) students obtained, it amount to nothing if a graduate cannot make something with his hand, adding that such a situation would only drag the society backward.
On Almajiri menace, the lawmaker said it was a very sensitive issue, especially in the North, that needs the support and collaboration of all stakeholders to correct.
BE
– Aug. 01, 2019 17:10 GMT
Tags: Lawmaker urges graduates to shelve white-collar-jobs dream learn to be skillful
