From Desmond Mgboh, Kano

Former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday, implored the Federal  Government to stimulate the economy by spending more, saying Nigerians were tired of fasting.

Tinubu, who made a distinction between spiritual fasting, which is voluntary, and economic fasting which is non-voluntary, stressed that Nigerians were no longer going to fast, having fasted for so many years.

He argued that sovereign  powers resided with the Federal Government and that it should deploy same for the overall benefit and development of Nigerians.

He recalled that the United States of America was  boosting her economy with trillions of dollars while regretting that Nigeria with 33 per cent unemployment rate was still adopting austerity measures.

He insisted on the massive employment of Nigerian youths saying their non-engagement at various levels had made them available to be recruited by bandits.

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He said such measure would cut off the potential source of recruitment for bandits and criminals who may be looking to engage the youths.

“Recruit 50 million youths into the army, take away from their (the bandits’) recruitment source,” he said. What they will eat? Cassava, corn, yam in the afternoon, it is grown here. You create demand and consumption for over five million army of boot camps.”

The APC leader also acknowledged the creativity of young Nigerians, but added that they must listen to how best to demand what they want.

“When you see social media these days, you find the very creative mind of Nigerians. I salute you; I salute our youths,” he said.

“They are angry, they are showing their anger, but we will appeal to them to listen to our sisters and brothers here teaching us how to get them engaged. Maybe some of us are old-fashioned, but if you don’t mix it too, the agitations can be dangerous.

“You have to mix it so that Nigeria is handled carefully. We can promote unity and common destiny in a better, more creative way; something we’ve done very well in Lagos state can be brought to bear in the entire country one of these days.”