Ahead of the New Year, Imo residents have appealed to all tiers of government to provide good governance.

The residents made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri on Friday.

The respondents lamented that life have gotten worst in the outgoing year.

They said many families have been deprived the joy of having family members around for the Yuletide festivities owing to the scarcity of petrol.

Mrs Maria Onyewuchi, a housewife, said her children who planned to come home for the New Year had been forced to change their plans because of the high cost of transportation.

She appealed to the Federal Government to adopt measures aimed at eradicating fuel scarcity permanently.

Onyewuchi also appealed to the government to do more to boost agriculture as the cost of food is also on the increase.

Mr John Uzoma, a civil servant, also appealed to the Federal Government to checkmate the excesses of state governors.

Uzoma said the excesses of state governors had led to the impoverishment of employees of state civil service.

He lamented that the governors “wilfully owe civil servants, choosing instead to lavish funds on frivolous expenses”.

He also advised the Federal Government to demand more accountability from the state governors, adding that it will end corruption.

Mr Joe Onuchukwu, also a civil servant, urged the federal government to create more jobs to curb the migration of graduates.

Onuchukwu said lack of job opportunities has resulted in desperate attempts to leave the country for imaginary greener pastures by youths.

He also called for the sanitisation of the civil service by ensuring that over aged employees are retired to make way for younger people.

Ms Lilian Ekah, a student, called for improved facilities in higher institutions to enable students get proper education.

She appealed to the government to find common ground with the Academic Staff Union of Universities to end incessant strikes in tertiary institutions. (NAN)

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