Bode George also alleged his children are being denied jobs simply for bearing his name.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Bode George, a chieftain of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has stated that widespread hunger is the primary driver of the anger currently expressed by many Nigerians.
The 79-year-old former military governor shared his views recently while speaking as a guest on Nigeria Info FM 99.3. He argued that political affiliation aside, the government must prioritize positively impacting the lives of ordinary citizens.
“Today in Nigeria, everywhere there is hunger and anger… the base of the pyramid is what really matters. What have we done to positively impact the generality of Nigerians?” he asked.
Lamenting the dire state of youth employment, George claimed that graduates are “floating, no future, no hope,” and non-graduates are doing nothing. He also offered a personal allegation: “The younger generation in this country, including my own children who graduated a long time ago, have returned and tried to get a job, but they can’t get a job because their name is Bode George.”
To address this crisis, George implored the President to establish a special fund focused on empowerment. This fund, he suggested, should be used to provide skills training for those without formal qualifications, as well as micro-credit for young graduates looking to start businesses.
He also criticized a recent fundraising effort by the First Lady for a national library. George argued that such funds should instead be directed toward job creation and empowerment initiatives.
“That fund should have been by the President asking these people in the banks, those who donated N20 billion in two days, to give that money, which will be public money, and process it through good management,” he concluded.
