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Presidency has denied that President Muhammadu Buhari disparaged Nigeria youths while speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in London on Wednesday, April 18, 2018.
This is just as Timi Frank, a Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress ( APC) disagrees with the President on the issue, in a Press statement in Abuja, on Thursday.
The statement credited to the President has however continued to elicit condemnation from well meaning Nigerians.
But a statement by Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina, said the President,s speech at the event was “misrepresented “
According to him; ” there is no way President Buhari, father of the Nigerian nation in every sense of the word, who equally has biological children of his own in the youths age bracket, pass a vote of no confidence on all youths. It can only exist in the imagination of those who play what the President has described as “irresponsible politics” with everything”
The President had while responding to one of the questions made some remarks about some Nigerian youths.
According to him; “We have a very young population; our population is estimated conservatively to be 180 million. More than 60 per cent of the population is below the age of 30. A lot of them have not been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil producing country, therefore they should sit and do nothing and get housing, healthcare and education free.”
Adesina noted however that ” typical of their stock in trade, manipulators and twisters of statements of Mr President, who lie in wait to make mischief, interpreted the comment to mean that President Buhari had taken all Nigerian youths to the cleaners. But elementary English recognizes a wide gulf between “a lot of” and the word “all.” How can “a lot of them,” suddenly transmogrify to mean “all of them?” Mischievous and unconscionable.
He stated that the President has always applauded and celebrated Nigerian youths who excel in different areas of endeavour, from sports, to academia, and other realms, adding that ” he will continue to do so, because he values the youths, and knows that they are the fulcrum on which the future of the country rests.”
“Indeed, every country has its share of idle population, and it is the bounden duty of government at all levels, to create an enabling environment for them to actualize their potentials. That is what President Buhari is committed to doing.”
“It is futile for mischief makers to lie in wait, and take a minor part of the words of the President, and turn it into negative commentary, peradventure they could diminish the profile of the President. “Nigerians across all walks of life know who is serving them faithfully and truly, and they will always reciprocate such fidelity as occasions demand.
But the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC Timi Frank disagreed with comments credited to President Muhammadu Buhari that the Nigerian youths are lazy and wanted free things.
Frank, a high ranking member of the party stated that rather, it is the government that has not given the youth opportunity to serve, hence there was no need to disparage them at an international event like Commonwealth Business Forum.
Reacting to Buhari,s statement that “More than 60 percent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven’t been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria is an oil producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, education free” while addressing common wealth business forum in Westminster, Frank reminded the President that more than 20 young Nigerians lost their lives in 2014 in search for employment in Nigerian Immigration Service.
” I disagree with Mr. President on this particular comment. Nigerian youths are hard working; we have best brains in entertainment industry, Sports, Medical, to mention but view, and I think they deserve an opportunity.
“If Nigerian youths are lazy you won’t find them allover the world seeking for greener pastures. Again, we have so many Nigerian young entrepreneurs who are doing well all over without support from the government”, he argued.
The APC national officer said the country has the best brains in the world but it is Nigerian leaders that have refused to create enabling environment for the young population to excel.
Frank declared that as a youth, he will be contesting the National Chairmanship of the APC in the forthcoming national convention to prove that Nigerian youths are ready if given the opportunity and urged the President to support him as a young man so as to prove to the world that Nigerian youths are not lazy.
“I like to inform Mr. President that if I’m given opportunity to serve within the rank of APC as National Chairman, I have capacity to do better than the current National Chairman.
“This is one of the reasons I have offered myself to serve my country in this capacity for now. I will, hereby solicit for your support by giving the youth opportunity to serve,” Frank said.
