President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday the government’s insistence on probity, transparency and accountability in the public and private sectors is to secure the future of the country for all Nigerians, especially the youths.
He made the remark while receiving a Letter of Credence from the Head of Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria, Ketil Iversen Karlsen, at the State House, Abuja.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, President Buhari said his administration would continually promote the culture of honesty and integrity in service.
He said this would guarantee a better future for the youths.
“Our insistence on probity is to encourage people to be accountable, and accept honesty as a lifestyle so as to secure the future of our youths,’’ he said.
He said more than 60 percent of Nigerians fall into the age category of youths and deserve to inherit a stable and prosperous country that all would be proud of, adding that the government would work assiduously to prevent waste and depletion of resources by corrupt Nigerians.
President Buhari told the EU official that Nigeria had been reluctant to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) among ECOWAS countries because of the need to protect the economy, especially the industries and small businesses that currently provide jobs for majority of Nigerians.
The President noted that the signing of the agreement would expose the industries and small businesses to external pressures and competitions, which could lead to closures and job losses.
“We are not enthusiastic about signing the EPA because of our largely youthful population. We are still struggling to provide jobs for them, and we want our youths to be kept busy.
“Presently, our industries cannot compete with the more efficient and highly technologically driven industries in Europe. We have to protect our industries and our youths,’’ he said.
President Buhari, who commended the EU for its support for the rehabilitation of the North East, said the Nigerian economy was already being repositioned to attract more investments to the country.
Karlsen said the EU would continue to support President Buhari’s administration in its key priorities – security, economy and the anti-corruption war.
