Columnist and PR expert, Mariam Mohammed has hailed Vice president Yemi Osinbajo, describing his speech at the May edition of the Platform as soul-lifting to Nigerians, especially the youths.
Mohammed in her Monday column argued that the theme of the event could not have been better situated following the outcry, albeit misplaced, of comments made by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Commonwealth of Government Meeting in London.
In April the president had said thatt most Nigerian youths wait for free meal ticket in the erroneous assumption that the country is oil-rich, therefore, indolence becomes their nature, rather than hard work and enterprise.
She added that Vice President Osinbajo captured the essence of the argument when he observed that outside influences from political leadership are central to national development.
“And to underscore his point, evidently it has become his appropriation, the vice president crisscrossed all fields of endeavour where Nigerian youths are etching their names on the sands of time. From business and entrepreneurship to ICT, through agriculture, healthcare advancement to the arts and literature, entertainment, sports, fashion and beauty, sports and even in public service.
It was like listening to an ensemble play any of Nigeria’s timeless classics, only that this time, it was one man painting a canvas of achievers, achievements and offering accolades,” she said.
However, she said the youths are yearning for more from the government, stressing that ‘they preferred solid assurances that bloodletting will be checkmated; power will improve; the police and other security forces will desist from arresting them simply because they carry ‘dada,’ wear saggy pants or boys plaiting their hair.
She opined that the Vice President deserve accolades for the brilliance of the delivery as majority of youths agree with him that “the solution is in building the Nigerian bridge. This bridge will not be built of steel or bricks and mortar, but it must be made of the strongest materials of all, our will to excel, our commitment to build a new society, men and women of a new Nigerian Tribe.”