We're ready to partner Tinubu's administration to move Nigeria forward

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The Nigeria Youth Organization (NYO) said it is resolved to collaborate with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to ensure progress and stability of the country as well as defend the integrity of this nation, economically, politically and socially by reinventing the interest of the youths towards achieving those goals.

Executive Secretary, Board of Trustees of the Organization, Dr. Olusegun Adeleye, gave the pledge while speaking with newsmen in Lagos at the weekend on the outcome of the meeting held by the body, which reaffirmed the dissolution of the national executive council of NYO led by Amb. Abdullahi Wali Abubakar, following the expiration of its five-year tenure and the appointment of a Caretaker Committee headed by Hon. Onyeamechi Ugwu for a maximum period of six months.

Dr. Adeleye said NYO arrived at this decision because it could no longer sit on the fence, saying that the body would come out and tell the government in power and the whole world what it believed would be of tremendous impact on the stability of the nation to avoid a situation whereby the present government would start giving excuses after four years in office.

The Organization Board of Trustees scribe lamented the high level insecurity in the country, mounting debts, among others in the past eight years, saying that it was time to now come out and make clear NYO’s vision clear on “how we want to advice the government of the day to develop the interest of Nigerian youths.”

“We want to come out now, and we can no longer sit on the fence, Nigeria Youth Organization would come out and tell the government in power and the whole world what we believe will be of tremendous impact on the stability of the nation because after this four years, this government should not come out and be giving us excuses.

“Eight years for goodness sake! Debts here and there, insecurity, name it, but this is our own time to now come out and say, this Nigeria Youth Organization, our vision is this and this is how we want to advise the government of the day to develop the interest of Nigerian youths,” he said.

Speaking further, Adeleye recalled that the organization which metamorphosed from Nigeria Youngsters having merged with Lagos Youth Association (LYA) then headed by Dr. Rotimi Olulana, was created in the early ’80s basically for Nigerian youths to come together to fight against tribalism, sectionalism and insecurity, and to also share issues of common interest for the advancement, stability and development of this nation, as well as youth empowerment, women development and social security.

“Basically the organization (NYO) was formed as a youth oriented association in 1980. It was then Nigeria Youngsters and we now merged with the Lagos Youth Association headed by Dr. Olulana at that time.

“By 1985, it had become a national association. Our aim basically was to procreate as an avenue for Nigerian youths to come together and share issues of common interest and look at the possibility of assisting the government of the day at that time in moving Nigeria forward, create avenue for the Nigerian youths to come together and show some certain instincts and collaborate with themselves in creating unity, prosperity and advancement for this nation.

“At that time, ours was to have a conglomeration of all Nigerian youths without any trace of tribalism, religious animosity, political crises and insecurity in the country, and I remember very vividly our members would come from all over the federation to Lagos and we would have meetings peacefully and they would return without any crisis,” he recalled.

Dr. Adeleye, while maintaining that NYO remained a pan- Nigeria organization, assured that the incoming exco to be put together after the expiration of the tenure of the current Caretaker Committee would be led truly by Nigerian Youths Organization president and “not Igbo president of NYO, not Yoruba president of NYO, not Hausa president of NYO now,” saying he must carry everybody along.

Meanwhile, in the 4-point communique issued at the end of the meeting of NYO Board of Trustees and Critical Stakeholders and signed by its Life Chairman, Dr. Rotimi Olulana, the body directed the Caretaker Committee to unite all members of the Organization throughout the country and in the Diaspora, saying it should reach out to the patrons, matrons and past leaders of NYO with a view to intimating them with the progress and achievements in recent times.

Besides, it further tasked the Committee to work hand- in- hand with the Electoral Committee and Screening Panel to organize a credible national election within the period of six months.

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