Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and 2011 Delta state governorship aspirant, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has supported former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s claim against President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that Nigerian youths are lazy.
Reacting to the president’s statement while addressing Nigerian youths in an empowerment programme organized by Onuesoke Foundation in Warri, Delta state, Onuesoke said when Mr. President said Nigerian youths are lazy and do not want to work he would only assume that there is probably a disconnect between him and the reality on ground.
He added that if not, how does one explain a scenario whereby an advert for vacancies in company requiring just about 100 persons ends up receiving 10,000 applications.
“Let’s take the recent employment exercise conducted at the Nigeria Maritime University at Gbaramatu, Delta state. A location only accessible by boat going through the sea for about two hours, youths did not even consider much the risk but wanted to work no matter where and Mr. President says they are lazy,” he wondered.
Onuesoke noted that there may be some lazy few but to use such to generalize will result to fallacy of composition.
He advised that leaders should be more connected to the reality on ground and not only listen to aides painting just the picture they would want to see.
The PDP strongman observed that the country is so messed up that youths hustle daily on construction sites only to be paid peanuts at the end of the day, youths follow cars, do conductors, driver and hawk products so that they could earn a living even putting their lives at risk.
He argued that for Nigeria’s sitting president to go international and condemn the youths of his country is totally unacceptable, wondering how many industries has Buhari established since he became the president and the youths refused to work there?
“In Western countries, there are ready many jobs for youths. Those who do not have jobs are paid stipends as welfare.
“How many has the Nigerian government done for their youths. The way and manner Nigerian youths excel in all spheres in overseas is evident that the youths are hard working and hungry to work but Nigerian environment creates laziness in them,” Onuesoke stated.
He said beside oil that is our greatest natural assets, “Nigerian youths are the second greatest natural resources we have, but we fail to utilize them because of the type of inept governments we have since independent.”
Onuesoke, however, advised the few lazy ones among the youths that it is good to work even if the pay is not exactly what one expects.
“There is dignity in labour even the Holy Book said so. It is from accepting to do little that the big man somewhere can see what he is looking for and make a better offer. May God help the youths,” Onuesoke prayed.
