The youths of Nigeria are worst hit by the archaic economic policies of the APC led government of President Muhammadu Buhari which has resulted in job loss, fuel scarcity, plus an increase in human mortality. Today, the youths of our country walk about with despair and hopelessness on their faces as they go through a period of hardship unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.

For 50 days now, the availability of gasoline has become a mirage as fuel scarcity becomes unending and pervading due to the lack of leadership ideas and political will to proffer a lasting solution which has made Nigerian youths to now buy gasoline at a black market price of N220 per litre at the filling station pumps.

The whole scenario becomes more worrisome taking into cognizance the fact that during the preparation of the 7.298 trillion Naira 2017 budget, crude oil price benchmark was projected and pegged at $42.5 USD per barrel but today, it sells at $71 USD per barrel. This means that this government earns an extra $28.5 USD above budgetary estimate for every barrel of crude oil sold by Nigeria.

Now, the question is, why is this government finding it difficult to utilize the extra funds to strengthen the Nigerian economy and better the economic situation of our youths who are losing jobs in droves daily? According to the National Bureau of Statistic (NBS), 4.07 million Nigerian youth lost their jobs in the third quarter of 2017, making the total figure of unemployed Nigerian youths to hit a record high of 15.99 million.

Inflation has also climbed up in Nigeria, hitting another record high of 18.55% as of last year. All these saddening figures point to one reality: That being a youth in Nigeria with President Buhari at the helms of the presidency is painful, terrible, and difficult.

Resilient Nigerian youngsters that struggled to create economic engagements are losing it all because they can’t get fuel; can’t lay hold of foreign exchange, and electric supply is terribly epileptic.

Due to this government’s poor economic policies, the fuel situation is now so terrible that PMS (gasoline) is sold at N220 per litre at the pumps with unending long queues being the order of the day. A visit to the few filling stations dispensing fuel will present you with a sad picture of group of able-bodied Nigerian youths wasting away productive hours in long queues at filling stations.

We can’t continue like this. The youths of Nigeria must reclaim their destiny by getting their PVC and voting out President Muhammadu Buhari and his APC. We just can't continue to watch helplessly while young, intelligent, and productive Nigerian youths lose their lives every day in the hands of unknown killer herdsmen while our president is busy doing nothing and travelling around the world. Nigerian youths did not commit any crime in voting him in but since he has abandoned his duties and have rejected us, we will also reject him at the poll with our PVC. Voting President Buhari out in 2019 is now a task equivalent to a patriotic national duty.

*Rt. Hon. SKE Udeh Okoye*
National Youth Leader (PDP)