Shehu Sani takes indirect stab at President's 'lazy youths' comment

Kaduna state lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, appeared to take a veiled jab at President Muhammadu Buhari when he called the presidents recent comments about Nigerian youths a "heap of feces".

While speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, President Buhari remarked that a lot of Nigerian youths wait on handouts from the government.

"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," he said.

The president has been heavily criticised by Nigerians for his utterance, with his opponent in next year's election, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, remarking that Nigerian youths are hardworking with great entrepreneurial spirit, work ethic, and creative abilities that should be nurtured.

On Friday, April 20, 2018, Senator Sani lent his voice to the wave of criticism by subtly attacking the president's comments without mentioning his name.

He posted on his Twitter account , "The King’s Spin Doctors trying hard to spray fragrance on heap of feces and pouring olive oil on a heap of dung."

[No available link text]

ALSO READ: Pulse Opinion: Buhari without a script is an international embarrassment

The lawmaker had earlier posted on his Facebook account to advice the president to apologise for his comment, urging youths to forgive him.

He posted, "The President should simply withdraw the statement on the youths and apologize; and tell them what he will do for them in addition to what he had done for them.

"The President spin doctors are trying to spray fragrances on the feces and lace the dung with olive oil, it's absurd.

"The President is a human being, he can gaffe and should be forgiven and should not be sent to the political guillotine.

"As for the Youths, the challenge is to pick the baton and lead and stop holding the Alsatian Dogs of the political elite. The President echos the perception of the bourgeoisie power elites, the youths must rise against it."

Buhari's words manipulated - Presidency

Shehu's posts appear to be a response to a statement released by the president's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, who said his words had been deliberately twisted by mischief makers to fit their agenda.

According to him, the president did not say that all Nigerian youths are lazy, but rather a lot of them. He further argued that the president could not have taken a swipe at all Nigerian youths because he values the youths, and knows that they are the fulcrum on which the future of the country rests.