Buhari Is Right, Nigerian Youths Are “Lazy”

By Ismail Afolabi

Nigerian youths are at it again doing what they know how to do best: “wailing and ranting.” This time around, it’s over a declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari. Speaking at the Common Wealth Business Forum in Westminster on April 18, 2018, the integrity personified president reportedly said: “Nigerian youths are lazy, uneducated; and don’t like to do any work because they believe their country is an oil-rich nation, thus always wanting free oil money.”

Not considering the notion that it is a pure demonstration of sincerity and integrity to say things as they appear, irrated youths have since the statement went viral been calling for the head of the president. Even those without a permanent voters’ card are boiling. Hiss! One thing is certain about the convertible statement. It is the fact that President Buhari is right. And, here is why.

Baba Buhari promised, among other things, to: “attract the best and brightest of our sons and daughters into our politics and public service by aggressive recruitment of private sector people, academics, and professionals within Nigeria and in the Diaspora through internships, fellowships, executive appointments, and special nomination to contest elective offices.”

“Embark on vocational training, entrepreneurial and skills acquisition scheme for graduates along with the creation of Small Business Loan Guarantee Scheme to create at least 5 million new jobs by 2019. A Small and Medium Enterprises Development Commission will be created for this purpose.”

“Make Information Technology, Manufacturing, Agriculture and Entertainment key drivers of our economy, by reviewing the present reward system, which is based on certification, to that based on skills, competencies, and performance.”

“Create a Social Welfare Program of at least Five Thousand Naira (N5000) that will cater for the 25 million poorest and most vulnerable citizens upon the demonstration of children’s enrolment in school and evidence of immunisation to help promote family stability

“Provide free antenatal care for pregnant women; free health care for babies and children up to school going age. Provide allowances to the discharged but unemployed Youth Corps members for Twelve (12) months while in the skills and entrepreneurial development programmes.

“Guarantee a minimum price for all cash crops and facilitate storage of agricultural products to overcome seasonal shortages of selected food crops. Establish Zonal world class sports academies and training institutes and ensure that Nigeria occupies a place of pride in global sports and athletics. Revive and restructure the Nigerian Football League and put incentives in place to make it as competitive as other national leagues.”

Now, with the end of his tenure at sight, even as divergent views continue to trail his accomplishments, one thing cannot be taken away from Baba. He might have performed below expectations and betrayed the outrageous trust reposed on him to reposition the nation, as articulated in his change mantra, but his integrity and sincerity is ”matchless”. Hence, he deserves kudos on the basis of his sincerity. To him, indeed, Nigerian youths are lazy and uneducated. Highly lazy that they fail to explore the opportunities in his extremely stimulating manifestoes and live on the promises in view, with profound loyalty.

His declaration was fine since it represents his sincere perception of the Nigerian youths. Who knows? Maybe, just maybe in Baba’s dream, he searched for brightest and educated Nigerians that could fit into his aggressive recruitment initiatives without positive results. Also, in his dreams, he probably must have embarked on vocational trainings, social welfare programmes and rolled out millions of jobs which the youths failed to embrace due to their laziness and believe that the country is an oil-rich nation, thus always wanting free oil money.
Therefore, on sincerity ground, his declaration meets felicity condition same way it did before the election that brought him into power in 2015, when he said: “Every country has its ‘lost generation’. Some were stolen away by war, some by economic downturns, and some by governments. Nigeria is perhaps the only country stolen by a cabal of political Mafias, merely for power, money, leisure and privilege.” Without mincing words, Baba is right in that he is entitled to his opinion. But, connecting to reality, the statement is unpresidential and for this, Baba Buhari doesn’t appear to be different from the political mafias he sincerely warned against. He passed through the eye of niddle ‘merely’ to clinch power, only to turn the lost generation to lazy generation.

In view of this, it is expected that Nigerian youths and all Nigerians of goodwill, the lost generation angered by failures of corrupt and poor leadership, frustrated by economic policies that did not deliver on its promise, who voted for change to regain their lost rights, would see clearly that leadership is not just about sincerity and integrity and place emphasis on competence and performance as major indices as well.

Everywhere, action is louder than words. If aggrieved youths could resolve to stop dignifying political mafias who instead of focusing on the nation building, looted the nation’s treasury, bastardised education across board, reduced health care system to nothing, polarised the security, constitute threats to overall development of the nation and see nothing wrong in shamelessly saying: Nigerian education is in shambles, graduates are unemployable, doctors are not good enough, and other demeaning statements causing great damage to the already wounded nation, especially the youths, Nigeria will be great again. And, no matter the depth of the outcry against Baba’s declaration, until the oppressive mafias feel the powerful, unlazy – active – and well concerted reactions of the oppressed youths, their damaging and irrational perceptions will never change.