President Muhammadu Buhari has told Nigerian youths to use their education and exposure to improve themselves and not see them as tickets to depend on the government.
Buhari said this on Wednesday during an interview with Channels Television
“I wish when they go to school; when they work hard; when they earn their degree, they don’t do it thinking that government must give them jobs,” he noted.
“You get educated because an educated person is certainly better than an uneducated person even in identifying personal problems. So, education is not meant just meant to hang on to government to give you jobs and then what the colonialists indoctrinated in us to believe – have a car, have a house; start work by 8:00 am and close by 2 pm.”
Aside from this, Buhari also spoke on a wide range of national issues including his decision not to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
Buhari had declined assent to the bill, citing the inclusion of the direct primaries mode of elections.
Speaking during the interview, he said he will sign the bill if the National Assembly makes the needed adjustment.
“All I said (is that) there should be options,” he said. “We must not insist that it has to be direct; it should be consensus and indirect.”
Asked if he would sign if the lawmakers effect the change in that direction, he affirmed, “Yes, I will!” I will sign.
“There should be options, you can’t dictate to people and say you are doing democracy. Give them other options so they can make a choice.”
Earlier in the interview, President Buhari had also reiterated his government’s resolve to tackle banditry in the country’s northwest region.
“So, I think the only language they understand – we have discussed it thoroughly with the law enforcement agencies; the security chiefs, the Inspector General of Police – is to go after them; the terrorists,” he added.
“We leveled them terrorists, are we are going to deal with them as such.”
