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.
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.
Engr. Aderemi Oseni, representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo State in the House of Representatives, has called for a prompt investigation into the increasing occurrences of building collapses in major cities across Nigeria.
In a motion presented to the House on Wednesday, Oseni expressed deep concern over the alarming frequency of building collapses, emphasising the threat they pose to the lives and property of Nigerians.
The APC lawmaker, through a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, cited the recent collapse of a two-storey school building at Saint Academy in Busa Buji, Jos, Plateau State, on July 12, 2024. The tragic incident, which trapped 154 people and claimed 22 lives, is the latest in a series of similar disasters, raising serious concerns nationwide.
Oseni also referenced a report from The Punch newspaper, which revealed that Nigeria had recorded 135 building collapse incidents between 2022 and July 2024.
“This figure is alarming and unacceptable,” he stated, stressing the urgency of preventing further occurrences.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Oseni reminded the House that the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and other relevant professional bodies are responsible for ensuring compliance with building standards and practices.
“Despite these regulatory frameworks, the recurring collapses suggest that enforcement is lacking. The loss of lives, properties, and resources is staggering, and this disturbing trend must be addressed immediately,” he remarked.
He proposed the formation of an Adhoc Committee to investigate the underlying causes of these collapses and recommend both immediate and long-term solutions.
Also, he urged the House Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure swift implementation of any recommendations.
The House agreed to deliberate on the motion and is expected to present its findings and proposed actions within eight weeks.
The Vice-chairman of the Oyo Council of Obas and Chiefs, Oba Francis Olusola Alao, has expressed deep concern over the increasing involvement of religious leaders in material pursuits, accusing them of abandoning their spiritual duties in favour of wealth and influence.
Oba Alao, who is also the Olugbon of Orile Igbon, made this statement during a visit from the leadership of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement “Ayo Ni O,” led by Baba Aladura Prophet Emmanuel Abiodun Alogbo, at his palace in Surulere Local Government on Thursday.
The monarch accused some religious leaders of sharing part of the blame for the moral and political crises that have engulfed the nation. According to him, spiritual leaders, once seen as the moral compass of society, have become compromised by corruption, aligning themselves with the very forces they should condemn.
Oba Alao was unapologetic in his criticism, stating, “Ninety-five percent of Nigerian leaders, both political and religious, are spiritually compromised.”
He argued that this moral decay among clerics has made it impossible for them to hold political leaders accountable or speak the truth to those in power, as their integrity has been eroded by their pursuit of material wealth.
“Carnality has taken over spirituality. Our religious leaders can no longer speak the truth to those in authority because their minds have been corrupted. Most of the so-called General Overseers (G.O.) are corrupt and perverted,” Oba Alao added.
He stressed that this shift towards wealth accumulation at the expense of spiritual values has greatly contributed to the country’s stagnation in development and social justice.
Olugbon urged both religious leaders and traditional rulers to reflect on their actions, reminding them that they would be held accountable for their stewardship, both in this world and the next.
“The prayers of sinners are an abomination before God, hence the need for our leaders to rethink,” he warned.
The monarch concluded by reiterating the transient nature of power and the importance of staying true to sacred duties, regardless of the temptation to indulge in worldly gains. “I am a traditional ruler. I don’t belong, and will never belong, to any occultic groups,” he emphasised, drawing a clear line between his position and the corrupt practices of some leaders.
In response to the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement’s request for collaboration on community development projects, Oba Alao assured them of his support.
“Your requests are aimed at the development of the Orile Igbon community. I am assuring you that necessary assistance will be provided in this regard.”
Earlier, Prophet Alogbo requested the monarch’s collaboration on a range of community development projects. These initiatives include the establishment of a women and youth empowerment center, clean drinking water initiatives, a bakery, animal production facilities, and farm produce processing.
Other proposals included a diagnostic and medical center, a full-size recreational sports facility, and a home care facility for the elderly.
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