Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja

Youths of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC have asked President Bola Tinubu to immediately evolve measures that would reduce the rising cost of living among Nigerians, saying however, that the recent withdrawal of fuel subsidy was a bold step in the right direction.

The youths under the aegis of Progressive League of Youth Voters for Tinubu and Shettima gave the charge on Thursday in Abuja sueing the investiture of their national patron, Engr. Ayoola Oyejide.

National Coordinator of the APC youth group, Ambassador Abdul Usman Shuaibu who spoke on behalf of others said going by the series of unprecedented polices and appointments made in barely one month in office President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are square pegs in square holes.

“These activities have tremendously improved Nigeria’s economy as evident in the Nigerian Stock Exchange and her international reputation”, he stated.

However, he said while basking in this euphoria, there is an urgent need to draw the attention of the president to some of the expectations of Nigerians.

He said; “At least, half of Nigerians are under or unemployed, a figure that rises to two-thirds for young people who make up the majority of the population. The president is expected to tackle this problem and reduce it to the barest minimum.

“The prevailing state of national security in Nigeria is worrisome. The receding Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east is being substituted by banditry and terrorism in the north-west, the north-central is facing the deadly farmer-herder crisis, the south-east is enmeshed in separatist violence and the associated criminal opportunism, there is an upswing in gang and ritual activities in the south-west while the south-south is afflicted with militancy, piracy and oil theft. The president should get a grip on these serious security threats.

“Rise in the cost of living is unprecedented and unbearable. The president is expected to revamp our ailing and critically dysfunctional economy.

“Corruption among public functionaries in Nigeria is endemic. Though the president is strongly opposed to it, we expect him to confront the menace head on, setting an example of transparency and zero tolerance of self-regard.

“Nigeria is blessed with a lot of talented and intelligent youths but are barely given the chance or opportunity to exercise these gifts. Thank God president Tinubu has a very good record of grooming and including youths in governance. Therefore, we expect him to continue in that line, most especially, in his subsequent appointment of ministers, heads of departments and agencies, board members of federal institutions, etc.

“We are using this platform to assure the president and the vice president of the youth’s support and to also assure the youth that president Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and vice president Kashim Shettima have the strength of character and dedication to mitigate these problems and even exceed our expectations.

“As we can see, they are already adopting a hardline commitment to the principles of democratic good governance (as evident in the fuel subsidy removal), even in the face of reactionary pressures arising from entrenched vested interest”, the youths added.