The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the claims of massive job creation by President Muhammadu Buhari’s APC-led government is a mere statistic hoax being used to deceive Nigerians.

The party was responding to the report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on escalated 33.3 per cent unemployment rate in the country.

In a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said the report by the NBS that no fewer than 21.7 million able-bodied Nigerians have lost their jobs and means of livelihood while many more have become underemployed under the APC further shows the despairing and despondent situation that APC and its administration has brought our nation.”

The statement read: “The rise in unemployment from the alarming 27.1 per cent in Q2, 2020 to 33.3 per cent in Q4 2020, despite the bogus claims of the APC administration, confirms that indeed, there is no hope in sight under the Buhari Presidency and the APC.

“It is clear that the direct cause of the escalating unemployment is the incompetence as well as the widespread corruption and treasury looting in the Buhari administration, where APC leaders are reported to have looted over N15 trillion, which should have been used to create wealth, develop our country and provide jobs for our citizens

“It is rather distressing that, as shown in the NBS report, that unemployment rate among young and very enterprising Nigerians, within the age of 15 to 34 years, had risen to 42.5 per cent; a revelation that put a lie to claims by the Buhari administration, of mass employment, job opportunities and economic empowerment of our youths.

“It is now obvious that under President Buhari and the APC, the Federal Government created jobs only in their fake statistics while in reality, they are taking no concrete steps to empower our hardworking citizens.” (Daily Trust)