Presidential spokesman, Femi Adeshina
came out yesterday, to clear the air, following the statement
credited to President Buhari, where he was alleged to have derided all Nigerian youths, while he was delivering a keynote
address on Making Business Easier Between Commonwealth Countries, in
London.
However, defending the President, Femi Adeshina
in a statement he posted on his Facebook page wrote:
At the Commonwealth Business Forum in
London on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari gave
a keynote address on Making Business Easier Between Commonwealth
Countries. The presentation was followed by a discussion, and
question and answer session.
Responding to a question, President
Buhari had cause to talk about some Nigerian youths, and he said: "
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.”
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 recognizes 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.
President Buhari has always applauded
and celebrated Nigerian youths who excel in different areas of
endeavour, from sports, to academia, and other realms. And he will
continue to do so, because he values the youths, 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 actualize their
potentials. That is what President Buhari is committed to doing.
The focal areas of the administration;
securing the country, reviving the economy, and fighting corruption,
are actually intended to give youths a future and a hope. This much
was emphasized in an April 5, 2018 comment by President Buhari, while
receiving Letter of Credence from the Head of Delegation of the
European Union to Nigeria, when he 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 percent of Nigerians fall into the
age category of youths and deserve to inherit a stable and prosperous
country that they can be proud of, adding that the government will
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.
This is the reactions
that follow his defense:
Ibrahim Olajide: Didn't believe it that
you delete comments that doesn't agree with you sir until today.
As I noted in the deleted comment, "a
lot of" means above average. The President doesn't necessarily
have to say "all of them" before it is considered that he
is referring to every Nigerian youths. How can a President goes
abroad and tell an international audience that 'majority' of youths
in the country he presides don't go to school and are lazy?
It's like a father saying his son is
not responsible in the presence of his in-law and expect them to give
him their daughter. President Buhari should stop demarketing
Nigerians
Blaise Udunze: Sir Lanre, let's not go
down this route. With this comment of yours, Nigerians will consider
you insulting their intelligence the more. At least we all attrnded
primary schools...? For me, the point is that it's totally wrong for
our father to make such statement. Believe me, no matter how we try
to defend his comment, it will definitely have a measure of an
adverse effect on Nigerian youths around the world.
Dare Moses :From the statement above,we
can simply translate it to mean "SOME"Youth, Not ALL".
I wonder why people play politics with every comment. May God help
this country.
Kunle Fasanya: With all due respect,
whether "all" or "many" or even "some",
it is still wrong for ANY President to say the statement in
international waters surrounded by international audience. I hope
President Buhari apologise and not listen to ill advise that
wil...See more
7
More Reactions · 22h
Samuel Omogunwa II
Samuel Omogunwa II @kunle apologising
will not solve this issue... We as youth need to take the bull by the
horn and stop arguing on social media. We need to kick all the old
dementia politicians out of office, cos they do not have a clue @
all. Let's stop sugar coating ...See more
LikeShow More Reactions · 11h
Arikpo Nkanu I have been waiting for
this response since sir, Tnx u for clearing the air. It has become a
campaign slogan since yesterday. And I know many will misinterpret it
to their pay masters, so as to make money from it.No president can
have the cause to call his youths "Lazy", Tnx God u said it
all
LikeShow More Reactions · 1d · Edited
Uzoma Nwigudu
Uzoma Nwigudu God bless PMB. The
twisting of his statements didn't start today. It has been their
stock in trade but we're not deterred. Nigeria will succeed.
LikeShow More Reactions · 1d
Okwudili Ani
Okwudili Ani I don't envy you in this
your ministry of clarification. Keep it up but....
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LikeShow More Reactions · 1d
1 Reply
Okodugha Festus
Okodugha Festus sir when a president go
to the international community and tell them that majority of his
youths but not all are lazy and uneducated, sound nice to the
ear,then u know something is wrong. every countries have challenges
but they solve it within them
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LikeShow More Reactions · 1d
Idris Mahmood Aliyu
Idris Mahmood Aliyu Very many youths in
this country are very very lazy, in fact, their entire existence is
equal to laziness. There is nothing we need to explain to anybody; if
in your heart of heart believed you belong to the demography talked
about by the president, then you are lazy and there is no explanation
or apology about it.
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LikeShow More Reactions · 1d
Taiwo Moses Ayodele
Taiwo Moses Ayodele It will not be a
bad idea if PMB speeches are well scripted henceforth, and stick to
each time he found himself at any international speech delivery. This
is controversially sad!
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LikeShow More Reactions · 21h
View 1 more reply
Peters Ichull
Peters Ichull True, we can't be
interpreting and representing every speech. Presidential
communication must be strategic, concise, fashioned and designed for
positive effect. We are in an election year, major communication
arteries should not be clogged with needless controversies.
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LikeShow More Reactions · 19h ·
Edited
Olatunde Malik
Olatunde Malik Thank you for your good
and enduring effort, particularly for clearing the air on this issue.
I want to suggest that you organize a press briefing with the press
and by extension involve some youth advocate to the forum. Make it as
interactive as possible. Its well. We are Buharist, we are proud of
our track record
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LikeShow More Reactions · 1d
1 Reply
Rume Ima Niboro
Rume Ima Niboro We must understand the
idiosyncratic use of language that is a fixture of the dialect called
"Nigerian English ". Our use of "many", "plenty",
"a lot " and other such adjectives is hardly statistical.
When a Nigerian speaker says "plenty people " for i...See
more
2
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LikeShow More Reactions · 1h · Edited
1 Reply
Mosun Adeboye
Mosun Adeboye Obviously!!! President
did WRONG on this and should apologise to nation who put him in so
called Post!!!
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LikeShow More Reactions · 8h
Arikpo Nkanu
Arikpo Nkanu Only God knows how much
they have collected one man contesting for president, from
yesterday?. He is the first to condemn it through his page, and I
believe millions have gone just for buying fake news. Time will
tell.. Congratulations PMB
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LikeShow More Reactions · 1d
Celestine Okafor
Celestine Okafor Femi, your job is a
difficult one, my brother. But don't despair. Truth is eternal. The
reason for God to allow President Buhari to become Nigeria's leader
especially at this time is beyond human comprehension. You can see
the level of destruction that...See more
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LikeShow More Reactions · 49m ·
Edited
Peters Ichull
Peters Ichull A president of a
battered, curious and suspicious people needs strategic communication
and not "brutal facts". That's why doctors administer
injection on soft tissues and anesthetize before surgery. He needs to
learn communication anesthesia with his people. He he he
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LikeShow More Reactions · 22h
Taiwo Abiodun
Taiwo Abiodun They are just crying.They
should go and see those who are into rituals, into robbery, and
roaming the street.Are they not youths who want to get rich at all
cost?.Let them twist PMB's words 1000 times all I know is that the
truth will prevail.
Painfully some reporters are even
supporting these mischievous people .
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LikeShow More Reactions · 18h
Umar Abubakar
Umar Abubakar In my view the borne of
contention should be on the place and audience before whom the
President made this unpalatable (to some) comments.
But unfortunately the naysayers have
seized or grabbed the opportunity so carelessly placed on their laps
by the President. For certainly, "some" or even "most"
can not be the same with "all".....
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LikeShow More Reactions · 1d
Nasir Bala Abdullahi
Nasir Bala Abdullahi Our media is our
greatest problem & their are the enemies of our dear nation. God
bless Nigeria, God bless PMB
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LikeShow More Reactions · 1d
Ndianabasi Udofia
Ndianabasi Udofia Truth is always
bitter especially to those that know they are guilty. Then the
regular n professional wailers will capitalize on it n politicize it.
They are simply idle n wasting their time bc the truth is always the
truth and will continue to be the truth.
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LikeShow More Reactions · 10h
Abiola Big-goals
Abiola Big-goals A LOT OF THEM/ SOME OF
THEM OR MOST OF THEM are
Lazy and haven't been to
School...........See more
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LikeShow More Reactions · 10h
Oladele Boladale Luqmon
Oladele Boladale Luqmon Thanks God, you
are there sir, I would be grateful if media in their bid to sell
paper reduce their sensational headlines like this, this is equally
amounts to treason by the paper that publish the story.
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LikeShow More Reactions · 1d
Otunba Alonge Alexander
Otunba Alonge Alexander Rate at which
some so call oppositions going about their utterances can not lead
this country anywhere only because is not business as usual, as at
today among the top two opposition what d age difference between one
of them an PMG.
Manage
LikeShow More Reactions · 1d
Bobby Olalekan Olokuntoye
Bobby Olalekan Olokuntoye Honestly it
has turned to chorus since yesterday... I'm sure they will still
understand your simple English now
Manage
LikeShow More Reactions · 1d
Sunusi Surajo Yahaya
Sunusi Surajo Yahaya Youths voted for
Buhari massively in 2015. So they need to be encouraged
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LikeShow More Reactions · 23h
Arc John Agmada Bawa
Arc John Agmada Bawa Please let's just
vote Buhari out and avoid any further embarrassment and insults.
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LikeShow More Reactions · 16h
Success Ayobore
Success Ayobore Your boss is a major PR
disaster to this country and to your career if you value your profile
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LikeShow More Reactions · 19h
Japhet Ogunniyi
Japhet Ogunniyi Synecdoche ,taking a
part for a whole. Fallacy of Hasty generalisation.All because of
2019.This President we know. Buhari we trust.
Manage
LikeShow More Reactions · 1d
DrSegun Oshinaga
DrSegun Oshinaga I tire for our people
o. We shall overcome
2
Mohammed Ramat Akwu: EXACTLY THE POINT,
MISINFORMATION IS A COMMON BUSINESS IN OUR NATION. MR CLEAN, THANKS
FOR THE CLARIFICATIONS. ALMIGHTY GOD IS UR STRENGTH. WITH PMB,
NIGERIA WILL BE GREAT AGAIN.
Kunle Fasanya :With all due respect,
whether "all" or "many" or even "some",
it is still wrong for ANY President to say the statement in
international waters sorrounded by international audience. I hope
President Buhari apologise and not listen to ill advise that
wil...See more
