Lai Mohammed says Buhari was misquoted

This is following the President’s comment at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on Wednesday, April 18, 2018.

Buhari 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 has been an oil producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, education free.”

The comment which has sparked outrage among Nigerian youths, has put the Presidency on fire fighting mode.

Femi Adesina clarifies Buhari’s comment

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina saidthat his boss’ words were deliberately twisted by mischief makers to fit their agenda.

He said that Buhari did not say that all Nigerian youths are lazy, but rather a lot of them.

"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,” he added.

Youth development Buhari’s priority

Rising in defence of his boss, the minister of information said some people have made it their job to twist whatever the President says.

According to him, youth development is the main priority of the Federal Government.

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Guardian reports that Mohammed said “Some people have just made it their full-time job these days to scrutinise and twist whatever the President says out of context.

“I wonder how a government that has employed 100,000 unemployed graduates and also feeds about 7.5 million people daily could be tagged anti-youth.

“Our social investment programme has continued to generate jobs and created opportunities for our teeming youths, while our empowerment programmes have been providing soft loans to over 400,000 youths. Millions of families and individuals have also continued to benefit from our Conditional Cash Transfer initiative.

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“This is a government that is so concerned and passionate about youth development and it is not right for people to begin to quote Mr. President out of context, thereby inciting the youths against the government.

“Critics should judge us by our actions and not by their emotions.”

Northern youths says 2019 will tell

The National president of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF), Yerima Shettima has also condemned Buhari lazy Nigerian youths comment.

According to Shettima, 2019 will tell if Nigerian youths are lazy or not.

The AYCF President described the President’s comment as unfortunate, saying that it is an abuse on the sensibilities of the youths who worked hard for him in 2015.