You can’t reduce Nigerian youths to taxi drivers – Atiku’s aide tackles Wike

Paul Ibe, the Media Adviser to former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential Atiku Abubakar, has cautioned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike against reducing youths in Abuja to taxi drivers.

Ibe said most youths engage in taxi business due to the unconducive economic environment and need to survive.

He was reacting to a remark by Wike on Thursday while giving out cars to some youths in the FCT to use for commercial driving.

In his speech, the minister encouraged the beneficiaries not to be ashamed that they are being empowered to be taxi drivers, saying that many Nigerians who reject taxi driving jobs at home gladly embrace such when they travel abroad.

Posting on X, Ibe wrote: “This is a big fat lie. First off, Nigerian youths did not create this economic situation that continues to serve them the wrong end of the stick.

“Megalomaniacs did and have continued to deny them opportunities through their trial-and-error policies.

“We know lots of youths who have taken to making a living of driving taxis be they green taxis (or any other colour depending on what part of the country they operate in, @Uber or @boltapp.

“By the way, is this what you want to reduce our youths to: driving taxis? Nigerian youths are better than that. They’ve proven time and time again that their limitations are the megalomaniacs that continue to mortgage their destiny.”