Atiku reacts to Buhari’s remarks, says I will never refer to Nigeria’s youths as lazy
…New campaign spokesman, Keyamo still mute
Whereas the newly appointed spokesman for the Buhari 2019 re-election campaign organization, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), is yet to make any response, surging volume of reactions have continued to trial President Muhammadu Buhari’s remarks at the Commonwealth Business Forum on Wednesday in Westminster, London.
Buhari’s comment had suggested that many Nigerian youths are lazy and expect free benefits from government.
In his reaction on his official twitter handle; @atiku, the 2019 presidential hopeful, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar averred that “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”.
Business Hilights recalls that statistics have shown that after Aliko Dangote, the next private sector operator that has created more jobs for Nigerian youths is former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar especially in Nigeria Delta and other parts of the country.
President Buhari had said at the ongoing Commonwealth meeting 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.”
Many political analysts who bared their minds on why the media officials at the presidency are yet to find a way of defending the President on the remarks, say it will be very hard to wipe away the hard feelings of struggling Nigerian youths especially graduates with best grades but without any job to show for it.
However, the presidency on Thursday afternoon, having observed the surging barrage of social media reactions by Nigerian youths, claimed that “Buhari said a lot of Nigerian youths, not all are lazy”.
The statement did not give details on how and where the President retrieved the data that gave him such information on the number or percentage of Nigerian youths that are lazy and why.
Also responding, Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Peter Ayodele Fayose who had declared for presidency said on his twitter handle @GovAyoFayose; that “Nigerian youths are hardworking, intelligent and enterprising. Their future was mortgaged by past leaders like President Buhari, who had everything at their beck and call as youths. I imagine the youths of today having half of the opportunities available in the 50s and 60s…”
In his response, Bayelsa State Senator, Mr. Ben Murry Bruce on his twitter @benmurraybruce averred that “Whoever says Nigerian youths are lazy should just buy a mirror and he or she will see the real definition of laziness! I have over 1000 Nigerian youths in my employ and not one of them is lazy”.
