David Mark

Senate President David Mark has urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to reduce the high level of unemployment among the people.
Mark, who made the call while inaugurating the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity, said the Federal Government should put in place adequate measures to ensure job creation.

``I am sure we don't know how many unemployed Nigerians we have, the statistics that is available is still not enough.
``We need to update our statistics to be sure that we get the number of unemployed people in this country and do what we possibly could to create job opportunities.

``We must do whatever we can to make sure we create more job opportunities
`` I want this administration to produce statistics at the end of every year to show the total number of people who have been employed and the total number of people who are not employed,'' he said.

Mark said such figures would provide all facts about employment and ways of dealing with it.
Mark, who spoke while inaugurating the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, stressed that effort must be made to address ecological challenges around the country.

``We must take environmental issues very seriously.
``We must be alive to the rapidly changing climatic conditions. We must begin to be very proactive in legislation and make sure it is implemented.
``We cannot afford to sit and watch our environment being abused," he remarked.
He urged the committee to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and related agencies to ensure effective action on ecological challenges.

The Senate President also on Wednesday expressed worry over the delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill.
He said the Senate would soon start work on the bill with a view to passing it within the shortest possible time.
``As early as possible we should be able to get the bill off the ground once the committee gets to work."

Mark further called for stringent regulation to ensure transparency and accountability in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.
He solicited cooperation between the executive and the legislature in all activities in the sector.
Newsday reports that the Senate inaugurated six committees recently.