President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerian youths to seek education to arm themselves with skill and ability to fight poverty in the 21st century and not to seek government jobs that may not be readily available.
According to a statement from the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, this was made known by President Buhari when he paid a Sallah homage visit to the Emir of Daura, Faruk Faruk, at his palace.
In the statement titled, ‘Train, educate your children on right values; the world is changing, President Buhari tells Nigerians’, he implored parents to inculcate the right values in children, including a deep fear of God, respect for constituted authorities and living a purposeful life through continuous education.
What President Muhammadu Buhari is saying
Buhari, according to the statement during the visit, said that he is not leaving any inheritance for his children, noting that the greatest asset he is leaving for them is education.
- He said, “They already know that I am not leaving anything for anyone to inherit. My greatest legacy to the children is to ensure they are properly educated.
- “My focus has always been on training the children to be relevant wherever they find themselves. I told my children, particularly the girls, that they can only get married after getting a first degree.”
- The President also called for children to be taught history because, without an understanding of their backgrounds, they will find it hard to be patriotic, responsible, and respectful.
- Buhari said, “We should ensure the children get a proper education. The knowledge they acquire should not be towards getting government jobs.
- “We don’t have jobs in government anymore. With technology, governments are becoming smaller, nimble and efficient.
- “Emphasis should now be on skills acquisition and competence in creation and deployment of technology. During the COVID-19, we asked all level 12 downwards to stay at home, and surprisingly, the system worked effectively.’’
- President Buhari told the Emir of Daura, Dr. Faruk Faruk, that he will be more regular in visits, preparatory to the handing over in May 2023, adding that the prolonged absence was due to the demands of his office.
- He said, “This is the longest I have been away from home. In fact, the Emir took to the court of public opinion at the prayer ground, when he openly told everyone that I had not visited Daura for close to a year.’’
I wonder how he can say this with no sense of irony. What education are the youth going to receive when ASUU strikes every year?
No government job anymore and the same government has failed to live up to the expectations of providing enabling environment for private businesses to thrive and provide more jobs.