Address Joblessness, Appoint Young Nigerians, APC Youths Tell Tinubu

A youth organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Progressive League of Youth Voters for Tinubu and Shettima, has implored President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to introduce policies targeted at reducing unemployment in the country.

In addressing lack of jobs, the APC youths asked the president to tackle the growing unemployment by appointmenting young Nigerians into his cabinet.

Lamenting the rising cost of living among Nigerians, the youth organisation however backed the recent withdrawal of fuel subsidy, saying it was a bold step in the right direction.

Speaking during a press conference yesterday in Abuja during the investiture of their national Patron, Engr Ayoola Oyejide, national coordinator of the APC youth group, Ambassador Abdul Usman Shuaibu, described the polices and appointments made so far by President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima as square pegs in square holes.

“These activities have tremendously improved Nigeria’s economy as evident in the Nigerian Stock Exchange and her international reputation”, he said, adding however that there is an urgent need to draw the attention of the president to some of the expectations of Nigerians.

Noting that half of Nigerians are under or unemployed, a figure he said had risen to two-thirds for young people who make up the majority of the population, Shuaibu urged Tinubu to tackle the problem and reduce it to the barest minimum.

His words: “The prevailing state of national security in Nigeria is worrisome. The receding Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east is being substituted by banditry and terrorism in the north-west, the north-central is facing the deadly farmer-herder crisis, the south-east is enmeshed in separatist violence and the associated criminal opportunism, there is an upswing in gang and ritual activities in the south-west while the south-south is afflicted with militancy, piracy and oil theft. The president should get a grip on these serious security threats.

“Rise in the cost of living is unprecedented and unbearable. The president is expected to revamp our ailing and critically dysfunctional economy.

“Corruption among public functionaries in Nigeria is endemic. Though the president is strongly opposed to it, we expect him to confront the menace head on, setting an example of transparency and zero tolerance of self-regard.

“Nigeria is blessed with a lot of talented and intelligent youths but are barely given the chance or opportunity to exercise these gifts. Thank God president Tinubu has a very good record of grooming and including youths in governance. Therefore, we expect him to continue in that line, most especially, in his subsequent appointment of ministers, heads of departments and agencies, board members of federal institutions, etc.”

The APC youths assures President Tinubu and Vice President Shetimma of their support and to also assure Nigerians that the new leaders have the strength of character and dedication to mitigate these problems and even exceed their expectations.

“As we can see, they are already adopting a hardline commitment to the principles of democratic good governance (as evident in the fuel subsidy removal), even in the face of reactionary pressures arising from entrenched vested interest”, the youths further stated.