How Nigeria can tackle unemployment – Satguru Maharaji

“I do not disagree with government taxing religious groups…”

A religious leader, Satguru Maharaji, has advocated the introduction of technical education in the country’s university curricula to reduce unemployment.

Maharaji told the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan that introducing technical education would expose students to various vocations that would make them self-reliant.

“I have been advocating for 20 years now that university farms should be established to expose students to the mother earth and produce to make ends meet.

“Stringent education laws should be made for the nation’s development,’’ he said.

He said that Nigeria in the last 100 years had slipped from being a producer nation to a consumer one.

Maharaji, who also supported the establishment of universities by religious groups, however, faulted the exorbitant tuition fee being charged.

“Private schools are blossoming while the public ones are dying.

“I do not disagree with government taxing religious groups, having been oppressing the people with the wealth they have amassed,’’ he added.

Maharaji also stressed the need for universities to be linked to the old culture, which embraced truthfulness, love, honesty and service to humanity.

He urged government to develop zero tolerance for corruption,

“We cannot continue to tolerate a situation where someone who stole N90 is being sentenced and another who stole N40 billion keeps roaming the streets.

“This is pure discordance from culture. Laws must be made urgently to address corruption before it destroys the nation,’’ he said.

The religious leader, however, commended President Goodluck Jonathan over his nation building efforts.

(NAN)