A coalition of over 400 apex ethnic national youth leaders has issued a statement urging their fellow youths to refrain from participating in the planned nationwide hunger protest against bad governance in Nigeria. The leaders, who have been observing the planned demonstration, expressed concerns about the organizers’ true identities and intentions, which remain unknown.
Barrister Aare Oladotun Hassan, President of the Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide and Secretary General of the National Ethnic Nationality Youth Leaders Council of Nigeria (NENYLCW), stated that while the youths acknowledge the country’s current hardships, they believe that problems can be solved through constructive criticism and engagement. Therefore, they propose a nationwide dialogue campaign to present views and resolutions to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The youth leaders warned that certain individuals and politicians are attempting to exploit Nigerians’ pain and anguish for personal gain. They also cautioned that hoodlums plan to hijack the protest, potentially leading to chaos and destruction. As the country’s apex youth organization, they emphasized that they were not involved in planning the protest.
The Nigeria Ethnic Nationality Youth Leaders urged Nigerians to reject the proposed national protest and instead join their National Dialogue Sensitisation Campaign. They reaffirmed their support for President Tinubu’s administration, citing his achievements and good intentions, and emphasized that protest is not the way forward. They encouraged Nigerians to have faith in the government as it works to restore the country’s fortunes.
SKJ