Politics

Atiku tackles Buhari over comments on Nigerian youths

Published

9 years ago

April 19, 2018

Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar has tackled President Muhammadu Buhari over the statement he made in London that Nigerian youths are lazy, saying the youths are the country’s greatest assets.

It would be recalled that President Buhari had on Wednesday, while speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster, said many Nigerian youths just want to sit down and do nothing.

He said a lot of Nigerian youths have not been to school but they want everything for free.

Reacting in a statement posted on Facebook on Thursday, Atiku described Nigerian youth as hardworking.

“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,” the statement read.

“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.”

Meanwhile, Reno Omkri, former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, says the comments is illogical.

He said contrary to the president’s comments, young Nigerians are hardworking and enterprising.

Reacting to the statement in a series of tweets, Omokri said the so-called lazy Nigerian youth will respond to the president during the 2019 elections.

He tweeted: “Nigerian youths created Nollywood from scratch without government help. Seventy-seven percent 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 calls youths lazy. You will hear from them in 2019.