AN OPEN LETTER TO THE COMMONWEALTH DISCLAIMIMG PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI'S REMARK ON THE NIGERIAN YOUTH - McKelvin Jude Oseh

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE COMMONWEALTH DISCLAIMIMG PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI'S REMARK ON THE NIGERIAN YOUTH - McKelvin Jude Oseh 

During the Commonwealth Business Forum in West minister on Wednesday 18th March 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari while addressing World and Business Leaders stated that “A Lot of Nigerian Youth are Lazy and Uneducated, that they would rather sit down doing nothing, banking on the notion that Nigeria is an oil-rich nation”.

On behalf of the Nigerian Youth, I hereby plea for the above statements to be disregarded as this is a false narrative and a dent to the creative, resilient, intelligent, smart and hardworking Nigerians, who on a daily basis, regardless of the economy instability and different drama displayed by our political leaders under this administration, ensures to keep contributing their quota in reviving the Nigerian economy.

The Nigerian Youth has over the years proved to be resourceful across the nation and around the world, leading different industries against all odds, even without any form of National Trust funds as an oil-rich nation and we have consistently thrived in all we do; as opposed to our leaders as reported daily on our prints and media platforms.

We plea for the Commonwealth to disregard all statements regarding the Nigerian youth by the President as he has vehemently neglected the Article 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the Africa Youth Charter adopted by the Executive Council of the African Union in Banjul in 2006. The President and his cabinet are stalling the Presidential accent process of the ‘Not Too Young to Run Bill’ thereby depriving the fundamental rights of the people to demand youth participation in the electoral process; driven by passion, good governance and legacy.

This plea is neither a judgment nor an indictment; it does not detract or negate the power of the president, rather, a response from the entire youth of the federal republic of Nigeria who felt slighted by the statement of the No. 1 citizen who was elected to rectify the impending menace of the Nigeria economy, yet neglecting a sector that is predominantly driven by young medical doctors creating alternative means to tackle challenges that could have been prevented; this and many more industries the Nigerian youth plays a huge role in sustaining with their talents and skills. The youths of the Federal Republic of Nigeria deserves better.

We want to reaffirm that most of the Nigerian Youth are well-educated, driven by the will power to succeed, technologically driven, have a strong entrepreneurial spirit; skilled in creating alternative means of diversifying the economy, shown potentials in growing the knowledge economy through new global best practice independently and they’ve proven to be a power house for any willing and potential investor for possible projected returns.

Nigeria is our country and we hope to do all we can in helping to build, defend and sustain her unity, socially and economically, being able to compete for globally relevance.

McKelvin Jude Oseh CNS, PMIIM Founder, YiPAfrica