Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday said any engagement with the Nigerian youths must be transparent and honest in order to build a progressive society and nation.
The vice president also said political leaders must make sacrifices in order to win the trust of the people.
He spoke while receiving, on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the executive committee of the Young Parliamentarians Forum led by its chairman, Karu Simon Elisha, from Kebbi State.
Osinbajo said he rejected the implementation of the Social Investment Programmes on the basis of sharing slots between public officials and political chieftains in 2016 while the scheme was under his supervision.
He said: “The first problem was everybody wanted a slot. I resisted it. Why? If I do that, we will destroy the programmes because majority of Nigerians don’t know people who will take the slots.
“It was not that one was being purist, but if young people can’t get the benefit except they know someone then we have failed the young people.”
Osinbajo, who admitted the need to address important issues and noted the crucial place of youths in building a successful nation, said the youths are not just a demography, but are in the majority.
Osinbajo, who stressed the need to ensure that the youths were effectively represented, welcomed the support of the House of Representatives members for the newly formed National Economic Council’s committee set up on Monday to interface with youths, and other stakeholders on issues of employment, social safety-nets and national unity.
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