Leaders of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities’ youth groups have deplored what they describe as the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to fulfil its pre-election promises, provide adequate security, and stabilise the economy.
In separate interviews with our correspondent, the ethnic youth leaders observed that in the last few years, many Nigerians, especially the youth, had been killed, maimed, and generally agonised under various guises, while the elite only quarreled and raised further tensions with no idea for solutions.
The President, Arewa Youths Consultative Forum and National President of Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders, Alhaji Shettima Yerima, said, “It is close to three years since the present government was sworn in with Muhammadu Buhari as President and Nigerians, especially the youths, have yet to feel any meaningful change.
“It has been one challenge after the other. From grinding poverty to mass joblessness; from pervasive insecurity to painful fuel scarcity, to poor power supply, to a persistent instability in the value of the naira, to many terrible other things; no doubt, not only the youths, but the entire Nigerian masses, are worsted.”
Also, a leader of the Ethnic Nationalities Forum of the Niger Delta, and President, Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, Barrister Pereotubo Oweilaemi, maintained, “Nigerians have been groaning under epileptic power supply, which has crippled many businesses in spite of government’s promise to increase electricity generation and distribution to 40,000 MW.”
On the economy, he argued that the value of the naira had continued to drop and government’s annual budgets were always controversial and wrapped around embarrassing scandals.
“Look at the issue of fuel scarcity; there seems to be no solution from government to the intermittent scarcity even after close to 100 per cent increase in pump prices,” he said.
National President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, in his take, lambasted the current government, saying, “While the government boasts of focusing on curbing the Boko Haram insurgency, the sect appears to be even more emboldened with the recent daring abductions and intensified attacks and killings.
“The situation is heightened by an upsurge in kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery, communal conflicts, as all take their toll on the psyche of the
citizenry.”
The National Secretary, Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders, and National President, Yoruba Youth Council, Comrade Eric Oluwole, also faulted the current administration on the unemployment saga in the country.
He said, “Nigerians, especially the youths, are yet to witness the promised one million new jobs, annually, made during the 2015 election campaigns.
“While Nigerians wait for the fulfilment of this promise, many, who have jobs are being fired on a daily basis, as most companies lay off staff, owing to the prevailing harsh economic realities.”
