National Issues
Where are the lazy youths? President Muhammdu Buhari should name them || By Musliudeen Adebayo
IT is no doubt a rude shock that millions of Nigerian youth who have been adjudged as one of the most hardworking, resilient and industrious in the world were disgraced by their country’s number one citizen, President Muhammadu Buhari while attending a meeting in London last Wednesday.
Buhari, while attending Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster, instead of telling the world and those present that Nigerian youth have a lot of yet-to-be identified and untapped potentials, but some of them are handicapped because the environment is not conducive for them to realise their God giving talents, however shocked the world that most youths in his country prefer to do nothing because they feel Nigeria is an oil-rich nation.
Buhari was quoted as saying, “about the economy, we have a very young population, our population is estimated conservatively to be 180 million. This is a very conservative one.
“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 for free.”
I stand to disagree with Mr. President’s outburst because Nigerian youth are not in any way claiming that we have oil and they should not work. I ask Mr. President to name any company that pays its workers regularly and concerned about their welfare that has so far, sincerely sack any youth in this country or abroad because he or she is lazy. He should also name the individual for sake of clarity.
Though, the Presidency and some top government functionaries, adults, academia, activists and even some youths, maybe due to ethnic, religious, political party affiliation, ignorance or pecuniary reasons are still defending the defenseless Presidential outburst, I don’t mind them and I will not blame them, they are one way or the other benefiting from the largesse and reaping from our commonwealth at the detriment of all of us. That is why they are always in the habit of defending their heroes even when such person is wrong. I decided not to blame them because, it is generally believe that he who pays the piper dictates the tune.
Why will the President, instead of projecting image of the youths and the country at large make such statement that has generated a lot of criticisms?. I think the image makers in the Presidency still need a lot of lessons to learn from this and I am sure they must have leant some on what to and not to say abroad even at home by whoever is giving the opportunity to talk in any gathering.
I must also add that I happened to be one of the supporters and campaigners for this administration, either secretly or openly before it came to power in 2015 through one on one discussions, analysis and publications, I purposely did that due to the fact that, I was told that Buhari/Idiagbon led military adminstration between December 31st 1983 and August 1985 meant well for Nigeria and her people, but reverse is the case since 2015 when he was elected to lead us. It is a surprise that is is not what we expected that is happening.
This administration promised a lot of things including reduction in the pump price of petrol, increased megawatts of electricity and constant electricity supply, good roads and other infrastructure, jobs creation, feeding of school children, putting a stop to security challenges and fight against corruption among others. The only ones I can vividly see is the NPower jobs and the trial of perceived corrupt persons in the media.
It is saddening that despite the claims that Boko Haram insurgents have been defeated, many Nigerians are being killed on daily basis in the North East. Many people are being killed in Kaduna, Benue, Zamfara, Kogi and Nassarawa among others as if those states are not part of Nigeria.
It is now time to speak the truth and nothing but the truth. Nigerians should realise that it is until we clearly eschew sentiments that we can move forward. We should endeavor to call a space a space. We should not allow our relationship with whoever in charge to cover our faces on issues that affect our collective goals as people.
I will urge President Buhari to wake up early in the morning and visit streets of Ibadan, Lagos, Kano, Jos, Kaduna, Aba and Onitsha whether he will not see thousands of teenagers and youths hustling, selling sachet water, soft drinks, engaging in menial jobs among others in order to feed themselves and even their family members.
Mr. President need to visit our ivory towers and see thousands of students, male and female engaging in all kinds of businesses in order to survive because they are the ones responsible for payment of their school fees. Speaking from a personal experience, I have seen many graduates who engaged themselves as bus conductors, drivers and labourers in order to sponsor their education. I have seen thousands of graduates who sponsored themselves, they missed lectures but still make excellent results because they were determined. Are these people among the lazy ones?
Thousands of Nigerian youth have been adjudged as the best in their various fields of endeavours even those outside the shores of Nigeria are excelling more than their counterparts from other countries.
It is now pertinent to ask Mr. President, “Where are the lazy youths” he was referring to. I am a youth and a voice to my own generation. We are not lazy but are hardworking people.
If Mr. President could not come out and name the lazy youths, I am now asking him to within three days after this publication to without wasting more time, apologise to Nigerian youth and Nigerians in general for making such derogative statement about Nigerian youth.
Nigerian youth are not lazy. We are not lazy, because we are doing our best to make it. I am not lazy, but doing my best to succeed.
Mr. President should be told point blank that, it is he and past leaders of Nigeria who deliberately during their youthful age ruined the country that are making those he accused as lazy to be lazy.
This is because some of them, I will not mention names, had the opportunity to rule Nigeria at the ages of 20s, 30s and 40s, they destroyed the ladder due to unfavorable policies they introduced while in government. The ladder they destroyed is what we are trying to resuscitate. When we finally bring it back, I am sure they will be sent back to their respective homes in 2019 with our PVCs.
We have the opportunity to produce a military Head of State at the age of 29 in Nigeria. We have the opportunity to produce Federal ministers in the first republic at the age of 20s, in the defunct Western region, we have the opportunity to produce commissioners who were in their 20s and they performed excellently. So, kindly name the lazy youths sir.
Mr. President should understand that majority of those who he accused as lazy are making it despite unfavorable policies he and other past leaders introduced since independence.
Mr. President should also understand that youths between 18 and 40 years contribute more than 40 percent of the voters population in the present day Nigeria, he should understand that many youths decided to support him due to his campaign promises which are no more realistic after almost three years in government.
Majority of them including myself used their resources to campaign secretly or openly for you, but due to these attacks and unguided statements on our collective intelligence we have decided to do otherwise henceforth.
That is when you will know the worth of the youths accused as lazy. If you accuse us as lazy, that means you need to leave the stage for a government that will engage us meaningfully.
Mr. President should also understand that if some youths are lazy, it is the government policies coupled with their social environment that is making them to be lazy.
As Karl Marx (1818-1883) postulates that “It is not the consciousness of man that determines his being, rather, it is his social environment”.
Mr. President should know that Nigerian youth are not lazy, if they are lazy as claimed by Mr. Buhari, his government policies are responsible for their laziness going by Marx’s explanation quoted above.
It is on this note that I am now asking Mr. President to name the lazy youths he was referring to within three days after this publication.
The President should apologise to Nigerians youths for making such remark if he fails to name the lazy youths.
I am a voice to my generation, a Nigerian youth, a professional Social Worker, a trained and practising Journalist, but I am not lazy.
TEXT OF THE BROADCAST BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES, DECLARING STATE OF EMERGENCY IN RIVERS STATE ON TUESDAY 18 MARCH 2025
Fellow Nigerians, I feel greatly disturbed at the turn we have come to regarding the political crisis in Rivers State. Like many of you, I have watched with concern the development with the hope that the parties involved would allow good sense to prevail at the soonest, but all that hope burned out without any solution to the crisis.
With the crisis persisting, there is no way democratic governance, which we have all fought and worked for over the years, can thrive in a way that will redound to the benefit of the good people of the state. The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started, with the good people of the state not being able to have access to the dividends of democracy.
Also, it is public knowledge that the Governor of Rivers State for unjustifiable reasons, demolished the House of Assembly of the state as far back as 13th December 2023 and has, up until now, fourteen (14) months after, not rebuilt same. I have made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but my efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis. I am also aware that many well-meaning Nigerians, Leaders of thought and Patriotic groups have also intervened at various times with the best of intentions to resolve the matter, but all their efforts were also to no avail. Still, I thank them.
On February 28, 2025, the supreme court, in a judgment in respect of about eight consolidated appeals concerning the political crisis in Rivers State, based on several grave unconstitutional acts and disregard of rule of law that have been committed by the Governor of Rivers State as shown by the evidence before it pronounced in very clear terms:
“a government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution as amended. In this case the head of the executive arm of the government has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him to govern without the legislature as a despot. As it is there is no government in Rivers State.”
The above pronouncement came after a catalogue of judicial findings of constitutional breaches against the Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Going Forward in their judgment, and having found and held that 27 members of the House who had allegedly defected
“are still valid members of Rivers State House of Assembly and cannot be prevented from participating in the proceedings of that House by the 8th Respondent (that is, the Governor) in cohorts with four members”
The Supreme Court then made some orders to restore the state to immediate constitutional democracy. These orders include the immediate passing of an Appropriation Bill by the Rivers State House of Assembly which up till now has not been facilitated.
Some militants had threatened fire and brimstone against their perceived enemy of the governor who has up till now NOT disowned them.
Apart from that both the House and the governor have not been able to work together.
Both of them do not realise that they are in office to work together for the peace and good governance of the state.
The latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today there have been disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militant without the governor taking any action to curtail them. I have, of course given stern order to the security agencies to ensure safety of lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.
With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will standby and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state, which no doubt requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order and security.
In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State having failed to make a request to me as President to issue this proclamation as required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, 18th March, 2025 and I so do.
By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.
In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State. For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate.
The Administrator will not make any new laws. He will, however, be free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President for the state.
This declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which has been forwarded to the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution. It is my fervent hope that this inevitable intervention will help to restore peace and order in Rivers State by awakening all the contenders to the constitutional imperatives binding on all political players in Rivers State in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
Long live a united, peaceful, secure and democratic Rivers State in particular and the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a whole.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has emphasized the need for the recruitment of intelligent graduates into its ranks, stating that crime-fighting requires intellect and strategic thinking.
DSS Director, Oluwatosin Ajayi, made this known on Wednesday while delivering a lecture at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.
The lecture, titled “The Roles of the DSS in Security, Peacekeeping, and National Integration,” highlighted the agency’s crucial role in safeguarding the nation and the necessity of strengthening intelligence institutions.
Ajayi, represented by DSS Deputy Director Patrick Ikenweiwe, stressed that the country’s best minds should be drafted into the DSS to address the growing security challenges.
“If I have my way, the best graduates in the country should be compelled to join the DSS and serve the nation in tackling security threats,” Ikenweiwe stated.
Drawing a comparison to Israel’s academic system, he noted: “In Israel, students who score above 70 marks in their university entrance exam are automatically placed in the university. Tell me, how would a ‘Dundee’ (dullard) be able to counter a criminal gang made up of first-class brains? Intelligence is key to fighting crime.”
He further advocated for collaboration with academic institutions to identify top-performing students who could be recruited into the intelligence service.
The DSS official also outlined several threats to national security, including sabotage, subversion, and espionage, urging a comprehensive approach to national security that includes intelligence-driven solutions and a well-trained workforce.
The Nigerian government spent a staggering $3.58 billion on servicing foreign debt within the first nine months of 2024, marking a significant 39.77% increase compared to the $2.56 billion expended over the same period in 2023.
This data, drawn from a recent report on international payment statistics by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), reflects a concerning rise in the country’s foreign debt obligations amid depreciating currency values.
According to the report, the most substantial monthly debt servicing payment occurred in May 2024, totaling $854.37 million. This is a substantial 286.52% increase from May 2023’s $221.05 million.
Meanwhile, the highest monthly payment for 2023 was $641.7 million in July, underscoring the trend of Nigeria’s escalating debt costs.
Detailed analysis of monthly payments further illuminates the trend.
In January 2024, debt servicing costs surged by 398.89%, reaching $560.52 million, a significant rise from $112.35 million in January 2023. However, February saw a modest reduction of 1.84%, with costs decreasing from $288.54 million in 2023 to $283.22 million in 2024. March also recorded a decline of 31.04%, down to $276.17 million from $400.47 million the previous year.
Additional fluctuations in debt payments continued throughout the year, with June witnessing a slight decrease of 6.51% to $50.82 million from $54.36 million in 2023. July 2024 payments dropped by 15.48%, while August showed a 9.69% decline compared to 2023. September, however, reversed the trend with a 17.49% increase, highlighting persistent pressure on foreign debt obligations.
With the rise in exchange rates exacerbating these financial strains, Nigeria’s foreign debt servicing costs are projected to remain elevated.
The central bank’s data highlights how these obligations are stretching national resources as the naira’s devaluation continues to impact debt repayment in dollar terms.
Rising State Debt Levels Add Pressure
The federal government’s debt challenges are mirrored by state governments, whose collective debt rose to N11.47 trillion by June 30, 2024.
Despite allocations from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) and internally generated revenue (IGR), states remain heavily reliant on federal transfers to meet budgetary demands.
According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), the debt burden for Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) rose by 14.57% from N10.01 trillion in December 2023.
In naira terms, debt rose by 73.46%, from N4.15 trillion to N7.2 trillion, primarily due to the naira’s depreciation from N899.39 to N1,470.19 per dollar within six months. External debt for states and the FCT also increased from $4.61 billion to $4.89 billion during this period.
Further data from BudgIT’s 2024 State of States report illustrates how reliant states are on federal support. The report revealed that 32 states depended on FAAC allocations for at least 55% of their revenue in 2023.
In fact, 14 states relied on FAAC for 70% or more of their revenue. This heavy dependence on federal transfers underscores the vulnerability of states to fluctuations in federal revenue, particularly those tied to oil prices.
The economic challenges facing both the federal and state governments are stark. The combination of mounting foreign debt, fluctuating exchange rates, and high reliance on federally distributed revenue suggests a need for fiscal reforms to bolster revenue generation and reduce vulnerability to external shocks.
With foreign debt obligations continuing to grow, the report emphasizes the urgency for Nigeria to address its debt sustainability to foster long-term economic stability.
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