Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has begged President Muhammadu Buhari to apologise to the nation’s youth for saying that the country’s “young population are lazy, but want free things.” According to him, the government has not given the youth opportunity to serve, hence no need to de-market them at an international event like Commonwealth Business Forum.
Buhari, while addressing the Forum in Westminster on Wednesday, was quoted to have said “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.” But reacting to the comment in a statement yesterday in Abuja, Frank reminded the President that more than 20 young Nigerians lost their lives in 2014 in search for employment in Nigerian Immigration Service.
The APC chieftain, who said that the country has the best brains in the world, added that “Nigerian leaders have refused to create enabling environment for the young population to excel.” “If Nigerian youths are lazy you won’t find them all over 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. So, 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 apology.” While declaring his intention to contest the office of the National Chairman of the ruling APC in the forthcoming national convention, Frank urged the President to support him as a young man so as to prove to the world that that Nigerian youths are not lazy.
“I like to inform Mr. President that if I am given opportunity to serve within the rank of APC as National Chairman, I have capacity to do better that 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.”
