The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described the controversial statement made by President Muhammadu Buhari regarding some Nigerian youth as “apt, precise and succinct”.

Buhari while speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster, said some Nigerian youths sit at home and do nothing.

However, in a statement on Monday, MURIC’s Director, Ishaq Akintola said Buhari was not the first Nigerian leader to have described people as lazy.

According to him, former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar; Seriake Dickson, governor of Bayelsa state; and ex-military president, Ibrahim Babangida had directed such statements at Nigerians.

The statement reads, “The problem with Nigerians is that they always run away from reality. Not known for verbosity, our president has hit the nail on the head,” the statement read.

“Nigerians need to contextualise the president’s comment. We have seen many youths functioning as political thugs as the 2019 general elections approach. What of the ‘agberos’ or touts who have now spilled out of motor parks unto the streets and bus stops? What responsible work are they doing? Are they not youths?

“We have forgotten that Buhari is not the only leader who described Nigerians and the youth in particular in this manner. Governor Dickson in a media chat on 17th may, 2016 was alleged to have said, ‘Bayelsans are so lazy, they want everything free, they don’t want to work’.

“The 25th September 2017 edition of a northern-based newspaper also reportedly quoted Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as saying, “Northerners are lazy” while General Babangida (rtd) allegedly opined during a BBC Hausa service interview of 16th April, 2010, The Nigerian youth is useless, cannot lead.