National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Tuesday said he never meant that the Federal Government should employ 50 million but 5 million youths into the Nigerian Army to boost fight against terrorism, banditry and others.
He said it was a slip of the tongue.
Tinubu in a video that has gone viral, saying that the Federal Government to employ 50 million youths into the Nigerian Army to boost fight against terrorism, banditry and and all forms of internal and external security threats confronting the nation.
He spoke on Monday during the 12 Colloquium to celebrate his 69th birthday.
According to Tinubu, “We are under-policed and we are competing with armed robbers and bandits to recruit from the youths who are unemployed —33 per cent unemployed?
“Recruit 50 million youths into the army,” he stated, adding that “what they will eat —cassava, corn, yam, will grow here.”
However, Tinubu, who spoke through his media aide, Tunde Rahman on Tuesday said that he meant the government should employ five million youths and not 50 million into the army.
Meanwhile, Tinubu’s comment at the colloquium that FG should employ 50 million youths has generated reactions on Twitter.
Reacting to this development, former Senator, Shehu Sani, in a tweet, said the nation had not been able to adequately cater for 150,000 soldiers.
He said wondered how Tinubu wanted the government to cater for 50 million soldiers on the payroll.
“If we have not been able to adequately cater for our 150k soldiers, how do we handle and cater for 50 million armed soldiers on our payroll?” He asked.
