The Rivers First Movement (RFM) has sounded a sharp note of warning over the escalating unemployment crisis gripping Rivers State, despite the significant federal allocations and internal revenue flowing into the region. During a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday, the group’s Director General, Maobuye Nangi Obi, expressed deep frustration with the current administration’s failure to create jobs or stabilize the state’s economic future.
According to data cited by the group and reported by Repots, Rivers State now accounts for a staggering 13.4 percent of Nigeria’s total unemployment figures. Obi described this trend as a “catastrophic curve” that the government has failed to flatten. He argued that while the state is blessed with immense wealth, these resources have been “cartelized” by a small circle of influential individuals, leaving the average resident to struggle in extreme poverty.
The critique offered by the RFM extends beyond jobs to the very foundations of the state’s infrastructure. Obi painted a grim picture of dilapidated public schools and failing healthcare systems, suggesting that the future of the younger generation is being traded for political gain. He pointed out that despite the billions earmarked for waste management, security, and public services, the streets remain unsafe and basic amenities are non-existent for many.
Reports notes that the group did not mince words regarding the ongoing political friction in the state. Obi claimed that the rivalry between Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara has become a distraction that serves personal ambitions rather than the collective good of the people. He lamented that the lack of economic direction has pushed many talented youths into social vices and political thuggery as a desperate means of survival.
In a move toward accountability, the Rivers First Movement is now calling for a comprehensive and independent audit of all state financial transactions and projects dating back to May 2015. They are demanding transparency on how public funds have been spent over the last decade. Obi stated that the group is already mobilizing citizens both at home and in the diaspora to demand a socio-political “emancipation” for the state.
The group’s message was clear: the era of plundering common resources through inflated project costs and political patronage must come to an end. As the socio-economic situation in Rivers State continues to face scrutiny, the RFM insists that it will no longer stand by while the welfare of the public is sacrificed for the benefit of a few.
