Atiku: I’m not surprised Buhari called Nigerian youth lazy… he’s not an employer of labour

Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, says President Muhammadu Buhari would not describe Nigerian youth as lazy if he were an employer of labour.

President Buhari had said most Nigerian youth just want to sit down and do nothing while speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster, UK.

During a question and answer session at Chatham House, UK, on Wednesday, Abubakar said he’s not surprised by Buhari’s statement as he does not relate with the youth.

He said: “On the issue of youth, I am an employer of labour and most of that labour is youth-dominated and I make a lot of profits from my businesses.

“I don’t agree with the assumption that the youth are lazy or they are indolent. Certainly, I don’t. But I’m not surprised with the fellow who made that remark because he’s not an employer of labour, he has no business, he has no educational institution so he doesn’t relate with youth in schools so I don’t blame him.

Abubakar criticised the multiple exchange rate in the country, saying it does not encourage foreign investors to put their money in Nigeria.

“We have only witnessed it in this administration,” he said.

“We must have a stable exchange rate that is predictable and will also allow investors to plan their investment in Nigeria over a long period of time.

“Certainly, I’m not in support of multiple exchange rate. I am a supporter of a unified exchange rate.”

The former vice-president also reiterated his earlier position that he can achieve restructuring within six months if elected president.

He said: “It is doable. In fact, what I’ve told many Nigerians at home is that if you give me six months, I know I will be able to achieve a fast level of restructuring, otherwise the concurrent list issue.

“It’s very easy to deal with it because there is no state that you will call and say ‘I want to give you this responsibility together with the resources’, and will say ‘no’.

“I want the people of every state to be able to hold their leaders accountable because, at the moment, the federal government is being accused of everything even when it’s not in its area of responsibility.

“I want to be able to resolve that so that citizens can hold their local leaders responsible for lapses and maladministration.”

When asked if he would consider running as an independent candidate should he fail to secure the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku said: “We’ll wait until that time”.

If elected president in 2019, he said he will “make Nigeria attractive for Nigerians in the diaspora to return home”.