“I sincerely apologize for addressing the youths as children” – Desmond Elliot

Nigerian actor turned politician, Desmond Elliot has apologized for his insensitive comments about the Nigerian youths.

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Earlier today, Pulse Nigeria published a video in which he(Desmond) was addressing the Lagos State House of Assembly. He reacted to the recent looting and destruction of properties in the State.

Desmond also said that he didn’t believe “children” could be bold enough to curse their leaders on social media following the Lekki Toll-Gate shootings.

The video saw him receive a lot of backlash on Twitter as the comments didn’t go down well with many. His colleagues in the entertainment industry didn’t spare him too as they expressed their dissatisfaction.

However, Desmond has apologized, through a series of tweets, stating that he didn’t mean to be “insensitive”. He stated that his outburst was due to the destruction and looting he witnessed during a tour of his constituency.

He said:

“I have read your honest feedback & suggestions & I sincerely apologize for addressing the youth as “Children” I did not mean to be insensitive with this, it was borne out of the magnitude of destruction & looting of businesses I witnessed when I went on a tour of my constituency. I saw women crying and my constituent members distraught as a result of the damages inflicted on their source of livelihood, I was moved by this while giving my submission on the floor of the House.

I allowed my emotions get the better of me and for this I apologize to everyone my earlier statements may have hurt. Please, understand that even the best of us make mistakes. This is why, moving forward, I ask that we all try to engage constructively on the issues that affect all of us. I promise to do the same.

The pain that I feel for my constituents, the calls for assistance that I continue to get, and the need to mitigate against further destruction and violence will continue to drive my engagements and my work.

“I thank you all for expressing your views, and in the future, I promise to be more conscious and aware. Together, we will build a better Nigeria.”