Adejoke Adebiyi
The All Progressives Congress, youth organization, known as the Progressives League of Youth Voters for Tinubu and Shettima, has urged President Bola Tinubu to take immediate action to alleviate the escalating cost of living in Nigeria.
The youths acknowledge the recent withdrawal of fuel subsidy as a positive step in the right direction and also appealed to President Tinubu to address, tackle the pressing issue of high unemployment and ensure the appointment of young Nigerians to his cabinet.
During a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday, The national coordinator of the APC youth group, Ambassador Abdul Usman Shuaibu, spoke about the significant policies and appointments made by President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima within their first month in office.
Shuaibu praised their contributions to the country’s economy, citing improvements in the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the nation’s international reputation.
He emphasized the urgent need to bring certain expectations of the Nigerian people to the president’s attention and highlighted the high rates of unemployment, particularly among young people, who constitute the majority of the population.
Shuaibu expressed concerns about the prevailing state of national security, as different regions of Nigeria face various security threats such as insurgency, banditry, farmer-herder conflicts, separatist violence, gang activities, and militancy. The youth group urged the president to tackle these security challenges effectively.
“These activities have tremendously improved Nigeria’s economy as evident in the Nigerian Stock Exchange and her international reputation”, he stated.
However, he said while basking in this euphoria, there is an urgent need to draw the attention of the president to some of the expectations of Nigerians.
He said: “At least, half of Nigerians are under or unemployed, a figure that rises to two-thirds for young people who make up the majority of the population. The president is expected to tackle this problem and reduce it to the barest minimum.
“The prevailing state of national security in Nigeria is worrisome. The receding Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east is being substituted by banditry and terrorism in the north-west, the north-central is facing the deadly farmer-herder crisis, the south-east is enmeshed in separatist violence and the associated criminal opportunism, there is an upswing in gang and ritual activities in the south-west while the south-south is afflicted with militancy, piracy and oil theft. The president should get a grip on these serious security threats.
“Rise in the cost of living is unprecedented and unbearable. The president is expected to revamp our ailing and critically dysfunctional economy.
“Corruption among public functionaries in Nigeria is endemic. Though the president is strongly opposed to it, we expect him to confront the menace head on, setting an example of transparency and zero tolerance of self-regard.
“Nigeria is blessed with a lot of talented and intelligent youths but are barely given the chance or opportunity to exercise these gifts. Thank God president Tinubu has a very good record of grooming and including youths in governance. Therefore, we expect him to continue in that line, most especially, in his subsequent appointment of ministers, heads of departments and agencies, board members of federal institutions, etc.
“We are using this platform to assure the president and the vice president of the youth’s support and to also assure the youth that president Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and vice president Kashim Shettima have the strength of character and dedication to mitigate these problems and even exceed our expectations.
The group has said to have also raised the issue of the unprecedented and unbearable increase in the cost of living.
They called on President Tinubu to revitalize the nation’s economy, which they described as ailing and dysfunctional.
Additionally, the youth group acknowledged the endemic corruption among public officials in Nigeria. While recognizing President Tinubu’s strong opposition to corruption, they expect him to confront this menace head-on and set an example of transparency and zero tolerance for self-interest.
Highlighting the abundance of talented and intelligent Nigerian youths, the group emphasized the need for them to be given opportunities to contribute to governance.
They commended President Tinubu for his track record of grooming and involving young people in governance and called on him to continue this trend in his future appointments of ministers, heads of departments and agencies, and board members of federal institutions.
The youth group expressed its support for President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima, expressing confidence in their character and dedication to address these issues and exceed the expectations of the Nigerian youth.
The youths praised the president and vice president’s commitment to democratic good governance, exemplified by the recent removal of fuel subsidy, despite facing opposition from vested interests.
“As we can see, they are already adopting a hardline commitment to the principles of democratic good governance (as evident in the fuel subsidy removal), even in the face of reactionary pressures arising from entrenched vested interest”, the youths added.
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