“President Muhammadu Buhari has said many Nigerian youths are uneducated, not ready to work and dependent on revenue from oil to survive.
He said the youths, who make up 60 per cent of the population, were waiting to get social amenities free without doing anything.” – punch.
My observations
1. We have a president who doesn’t know how to dilute the truth, he says it as it is.
2. Did the president says “All Nigerian youths” No! “Many” Nigerian youths most definitely fall into this bracket.
3. To a very large extent, this is a statement of fact in the northern part of the country where I belong, especially the part “many Nigerian youths are uneducated” (I am assuming the president is referencing Western education). That it does not fit your taste or locality doesn’t mean it’s not true in some climes.
4. Being a graduate from ANY Nigerian higher institution of learning does not confer on one the status of ” employability”.
“While there will always be job-specific skills that an employer is looking for, most employers will also want you to have some general skills. These general job skills are sometimes called “employability skills”. These include but not limited; Good Communication skills,Teamwork, Quick and efficient Problem solving skills, Good Initiative and enterprising, excellent planning skills, Self-management. Life-long Learning desire and good knowledge of Information Communication Technology (ICT).
Most baked Nigerian graduates are lacking in these employability skills not to mention the specific one’s Mr President is referencing; the uneducated.
5. And doesn’t our attitude towards government owned institutions tally with Mr. President’s remark of ” Not ready to work, and dependent on revenue from oil to survive”? Most local government workers in Nigeria do not go to work until news filters in of salaries is about to be paid. It is also true most Nigerians expects “free” medical attention from government owned facilities. The mind-set in some southern states of Nigeria particularly South-South about government funds and institution to say the least is appalling.
6. We need to review our thinking about what is considered as “Labour, occupation and job” in this country. English aside, these three words denotes a place one is employed, so why then do we describe certain people as unemployed?
You may not like Mr. President for myriad of reasons but here is a president who loves the country not to tell the people the truth.
OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE PURELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR AND OF THE EDITORS/PUBLISHERS OF PROCYON NEWS.
