Buhari couldn’t have derided Nigerian youths – Presidency

The Presidency has dismissed report by some traditional and social media outfits that President Muhammadu Buhari had taken all Nigerian youths to the cleaners.

Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, condemned the report, describing it as a deliberate mischief by manipulators and twisters of statements of the President.

The presidential aide stated that the president, who was responding to a question at the Commonwealth Business Forum in London on Wednesday, had cause to talk about some Nigerian youths.

Adesina quoted what the President said at the forum as follow: “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.”

He, however, noted that the statement was twisted, saying “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 recognises 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!

“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.’’

He noted that President Buhari had always applauded and celebrated Nigerian youths who excelled in different areas of endeavour, from sports, to academia, and other realms.

He added that the president would continue to do so, because “he values the youth, 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 actualise their potentials.

“That is what President Buhari is committed to doing.’’

According to him, the focal areas of the Buhari administration; securing the country, reviving the economy and fighting corruption are actually intended to give youths a future and a hope.

He said the president emphasised this on April 5 in his comments while receiving Letter of Credence from the Head of Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria.

The president then said: “Our insistence on probity is to encourage people to be accountable and accept honesty as a lifestyle so as to secure the future of our youths.’’

The President also said more than 60 per cent of Nigerians fall into the age category of youths and deserve to inherit a stable and prosperous country that they can be proud of.

He added that the government would work assiduously to prevent waste and the depletion of resources by corrupt Nigerians.

“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,’’ Adesina said.