Senate proposes N15,000 monthly salaries for unemployed graduates, aged

ABUJA — UNEMPLOYED graduates in the country may
soon start earning between N10,000 and N15,000 monthly
salaries as a Bill seeking to provide social security for
unemployed graduates and the aged scaled through a
second reading yesterday at the Senate.
The Bill, entitled “An Act to provide social security for
unemployed graduates and aged in Nigeria,” sponsored by
Senator Anyim Udeh, has earmarked N12.7 billion for the
scheme.
Leading the debate on the floor of the Senate, Senator Udeh
said creating social security infrastructure for the aged and
the unemployed graduates would curb crimes and other
social vices, including reduction of mortality rate.
He said: “The social security Bill is in compliance with
section 14 of the 1999 Constitution. It is more so, because
over 70 per cent of our people live below poverty level.
Creating the social security scheme in which unemployed
graduates and the aged will have minimum wage to live on
will help tackle the problem of poverty.”
Disclosing the cost implication of the scheme, Udeh told the
Senators that an estimated N77 billion would be needed to
run the scheme between 2011 and 2015 if the Bill was
passed.
The Bill received the support of the Senators, but most of
them warned against the abuse of the scheme and
expressed fears on the ability of the Federal Government to
implement it.
Senator Grace Bent (PDP, Adamawa South) in her support
for the bill, decried the high rate of poverty in Nigeria and
absence of social security scheme to address the problems
of the less-privileged.
Bent said: “Nigeria, before now, should have had this
sort of legislation. A government that has vision and love
for the people at heart should have this legislation. This Bill
will solve the social security problems all over the place
and reduce mortality rate in the country.”
Before the second reading of the bill, President of the
Senate, Senator David Mark while expressing concern on
the rising number of unemployed graduates called for
caution in the implementation process.
He said: “We need to worry about the level of
unemployment in the country. We need to worry about those
going without a dime in their pockets. This Bill is not only
for the unemployed graduates or the aged, every Nigerian
should be able to have a platform that will guarantee him
better living conditions.”