Yenagoa — The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, Hon. Alabh George Turnah, Esq. (MON), has called on Governor Douye Diri to recruit 20,000 youths into the Bayelsa Volunteer and Bayelsa Vigilante Schemes as part of measures to address unemployment and ease economic hardship in the state.
The PDP helmsman made this known while speaking with journalists on Wednesday shortly after arriving at the Port Harcourt International Airport from Abuja.
Turnah proposed a monthly stipend of ₦150,000 for each beneficiary, arguing that Bayelsa, as an oil-producing state with monthly allocations exceeding ₦50 billion, has the financial capacity to implement the initiative.
“Bayelsa, as an oil-producing state that receives over ₦50 billion monthly, is more than capable of embarking on this initiative to provide jobs and improve the welfare of our youths,” he said.
Turnah argued that the initiative would not only create employment opportunities for thousands of young people but also strengthen community security across the state.
He also urged the state government to clear outstanding pension and gratuity arrears, restore bursary payments to students, subsidise healthcare services, and introduce measures to reduce transportation costs, stressing that such interventions would help improve the welfare of residents amid prevailing economic challenges.
