The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC),
retired Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday said he would explore
practical ways to provide gainful employment for the youth, if elected.
Addressing
a gathering of young people at a programme tagged “Secure the Future:
Discussing the Future with the Youth“ in Lagos, Buhari said he would
pursue efforts geared at empowering the youth.
A
roadside restaurant features on March 12, 2015 a poster of main
opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate
Mohammadu Buhari in Lagos. Buhari, the 72-year-old candidate of the APC
is in neck-and-neck with President Goodluck Jonathan in the closely
fought election campaign, which initially was expected to be held on
February 14, but rescheduled for March 28 due to security concern. AFP
PHOTO
The presidential aspirant described the youth as the hope
and future of the nation, saying he would do his best to secure their
future if given the mandate.
He said that no nation developed
without a functional education system and promised to evolve creative
solutions to address some of the challenges in the sector.
Buhari
described the security in the North-East and some other parts of the
country as worrisome, saying he would confront the issue of security
with the grit it deserved.
He said apart from giving priority to
the problems of unemployment and insecurity, he would address the issue
of corruption, if elected.
“We have identified three things, the
first is insecurity; we know what we are going through with Boko Haram,
militants and other insecurity issues affecting the country. We will do
our best to address that.
“The rate of unemployment in the
country has continued to increase since 1999 and if given the mandate,
we will arrest the ugly development.
“Also, we need to address
the issues of corruption in this country. This is because if we don’t
kick corruption out of the country now, it will kick us out,“he said.
The
candidate said the objective of the APC was not to get power for the
sake of getting it, but to rehabilitate all the sectors of the Nigerian
economy.
Buhari urged youths to be part of the change Nigeria required and participate actively in the electoral process.
He challenged youths to take part in the elections and make sure that their votes counted.
The
APC candidate urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to
ensure that the new dates for the elections were sacrosanct as any
further shift would not be accepted by Nigerians.
APC National
Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, in his contribution, said that
youths were key to making the country a better place.
He said the APC was a symbol of hope and the party would not disappoint Nigerians, if it gained power at the centre.
Gov.
Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, who is also the Director of
Buhari/Osibajo Campaign Organisation, said Buhari was fit and competent
to rule the country.
“Buhari is fit to rule. He is intelligent
and credible. He has just delivered a speech off hand, that tells you
the man is mentally fit to rule.
“Those wishing him dead are being unfair to him. He is fit and everybody can see, “he said.
Former
governor of Ekiti State, Mr Kayode Fayemi, urged the youth to troop out
and vote for Buhari on March 28, saying the candidate had the passion
and the determination to transform the country.
One of the youths
at the programme, Mr Oluwatosin Ogunkuade, who is Vice-President,
National Association of Nigerian Students, said the youths had been at
the receiving end of insecurity and the challenges in the education
sector.
He urged the APC presidential candidate to improve their lot and fix the education sector, if elected.
Gov.
Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, former Bayelsa governor, Mr Timpre
Syla and former Minister of the Federal Capital Teritory, Mallam Nasir
El-Rufai were among other top APC personalities at the youth
programme.(NAN)-
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