The National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has denied calling for recruitment of 50 million youths into the Nigerian Army.
Tinubu said the figure he mentioned during his remark at the 12th Bola Tinubu Colloquium held in Kano State on Monday was five million and not 50 million, adding that the figure should include 50,000 recruitment into police, military and other security agents.
In a statement, yesterday, the former Lagos State governor canvassed the urgent need to combine employment and national security policy by the recruitment of the youths in all aspects of nation-building, ranging from infrastructural development to agricultural modernisation.
He said that the more job opportunities presented to our youths, the less some of them would be tempted into illegal and dangerous activities.x
He said that the recruitment would augment the functional capacity of security apparatus, thus ensuring better security and safety of the people.
Tinubu, who sought the expansion of security personnel by 50,000 for the armed forces and not the N50 million that was mentioned in error, said: “It was an accidental verbal mistake of which we all commit from time to time, especially when reciting a series of large numerical figures. I did not mean 50 million youths.”
He said that such strong recruitment would serve the twin-purpose of tackling unemployment while at the same time enhancing the security of every Nigerian.
The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) had earlier faulted the statement by Tinubu, calling on the Federal Government to recruit 50 million youths into the Nigerian Army. Secretary-General of YCE, Dr. Kunle Olajide, kicked against the position.
MEANWHILE, Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, has congratulated Tinubu as he turned 69. He prayed that God’s abundant blessings of good health would continue to be his portion in the years ahead.
In his goodwill message, Okogie also thanked God for giving the national leader of APC the grace of 69 years on earth, noting that to grow in age is to be nearer to the Creator and to be more responsible to humanity.