Some prominent Nigerians, Thursday, held contrary views to President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that many Nigerian youths are just lazy.
Buhari speaking at a panel discussion at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster, London on Wednesday said: “And then the economy. We have a very young population and our population is estimated conservatively to be 180 million. The 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 and therefore they should sit and do nothing and get housing, healthcare and education free.
“Recently, my minister for information was constrained to answer a question on people accusing this administration of doing nothing, he said ‘let Nigerians be reminded what position we were before May 2015, what condition we are now, and what we have achieved between then and now and I think people were impressed with the answer.
“For security, we have done quite well. Economy, we are doing very well, especially with agriculture; we are providing soft loans, and guarantee is that you have to belong to a certain locality and you have got land, you don’t have to go to the bank and need a physical collateral. I think a lot is being done.”
But, Abubakar Atiku, the ex Vice President on his Facebook said: “I will never refer to Nigeria’s youth as people who sit and do nothing. They are hardworking. I should know, I have thousands of youths working for me all over the country who have been the backbone to our success.”
“I’ve always said oil is not Nigeria’s greatest asset. Our greatest asset is our youth who created Nollywood out of nothing and an entertainment industry that is second to none in Africa.
“Our youth are charting new frontiers; creating a huge tech industry on their own. Their entrepreneurial spirit, work ethic, and creative abilities are things of pride and should be applauded, encouraged and nurtured.”
Reacting, Femi Fani-Kayode, a one-time Aviation minister, lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari, over his comments on the young people of Nigeria.
Fani-Kayode wondered what kind of leader takes pleasure in “slandering and humiliating his people before the world,” stressing that Buhari has shamed Nigerians before the world.
The ex-minister wrote on his Twitter page, ”2 years ago in London u clapped for David Cameron when he said… that the Nig. people were “fantastically corrupt!” Today in London u tell a group of foreigners that Nig. youths are lazy illiterates who do nothing and who expect to be given everything for free.
”What type of leader takes pleasure in slandering, shaming, denigrating and humiliating his own people before the world? What type of man tells foreigners that his own children and youths are lazy and unproductive?
”You have destroyed your own people and shamed them before the world”
Also, Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan said on his Twitter handle: “Nigerian youths created Nollywood from scratch without government help. Seventy-seven per cent of black doctors in America are Nigerians, mostly youths who were frustrated out of Nigeria due to inept leadership of the likes of Buhari.
“In his life, can Buhari name one thing he has run successfully? Between Nigerian youths and Buhari, who sits and does nothing? What rubbish from a president who lied that rats chased him from his office so he could work at home.
“A lazy president who can’t supervise his IGP to know where he is called youths lazy. You will hear from them in 2019.
“It is statements like Buhari’s comments that Nigerian youths are lazy that make me value my white beard. Since I am not a youth, I am not lazy according to Buhari’s logic.”
