The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, denounced the rate of unemployment in the country, stating that Nigerians had fasted for years and are not fasting anymore.
He said this on Monday at the 12th Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Colloquium convened in Kano State.
Tinubu said that Nigeria’s unemployed population were been enticed into banditry, suggesting that 50 million youths be recruited into the army “and take them away from their (bandits) recruitment source.”
He said that the country’s progress can be achieved with a mix of ideas from both the old and the young, stating that “Maybe some of us are old fashioned, but we must mix it too. The agitation can be dangerous. We have to mix it so that Nigeria is handled carefully.”
He added, “If you hear America spreading $1.9 trillion and they are not looking back and still asking for $3 trillion for infrastructure renewal and for creating jobs when your unemployment rate is at about 33 per cent and you ask us to keep on fasting. We are fasting no more. The one we are fasting spiritually is voluntary. We have been fasting for many years.
“I hope the National Assembly, I hope the President himself will not pay attention to austerity. I spoke about it just this Saturday. In inflation, it is the state that must constrain itself and balance budget, it is only the local government that must restrict itself and balance budget.
“Sovereignty is that of Nigeria and it is only the Federal Government that has the sovereign power and must use it for the benefit, development, health and quality life of Nigerians, that is why we are sovereign.”
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Unity Among Nigerians
Tinubu called on Nigerians to find a “more creative way” to bring about unity in the country, adding that Lagos State had successfully been able to achieve this.
He said, “We have listened to our sisters and brothers here teaching us how to get them engaged. Maybe some of us are old fashioned, but we must mix it too. The agitation can be dangerous. We have to mix it so that Nigeria is handled carefully.
“We can promote unity and common destiny and common patrimony in a better and more creative way. This is something we have done very well in Lagos State and can be brought to bear in the entire country one of these days.
“So we better watch our economy and make sure we finetune our economic pro- grammes. I am glad the National Assembly members in the appropriation committee and others are here and some of them were in Kaduna with me at Arewa House lecture, when I re-emphasised the fact that this is the time to put stimulus expenditure in place.
“This is no time for austerity. This is not the time to constrain the economy. This is the time to create opportunities.”
