Handover presidency to youth in 2023, civil society tells Buhari

FOLLOWING the appointment of Dr Kingsley Obiora as the new deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), a Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CCSO) on Sunday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to consider handling over to youths in 2023.

The group, which commended the President for appointing the 43-year-old Obiora, stressed the need to give youths the opportunity to lead the country.

In a statement jointly signed by the group’s president, Mr Etuk Bassey Williams and the Secretary-General, Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, explained that Obiora, who is an Alternate Executive Director at the Washington DC office of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a seasoned statistician will bring his wealth of experience to bear on Nigeria’s economy.

“It is no more news that President Buhari has appointed an intelligent youth to head an important section of the Nigeria economy, we appreciate his trust in the ability of Nigeria youths, it shows that a youth can be allowed to lead the country come 2023.

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“We will therefore hope that the President will honour his promise of handing over to youth when he steps down in 2023.

“Obiora was the overall best graduating student at graduation in 1999, with a distinction at master’s level and overall best graduating student award and he broke another record by being the first to get a distinction in that programme in over 20 years.

“His capability is attested to by the level of responsibility the global lender as an Economist and further gave the privilege of working in various countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

“Nigeria is blessed with several youths like Obiora who are doing Nigeria proud home and abroad, they should be given the opportunity to lead the country. It is time the older ones give chance to the youth to make Nigeria competitive in the community of nations,” he said.