National protest: ‘We won’t be used’ – Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders

The Nigeria Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Council Worldwide, NENYLCW, on Sunday, joined in the call for the cancellation of the scheduled nationwide protest.

The umbrella youth groups said they would not be used to advance selfish interests.

They group made up of all the ethnic youth groups in the country made the appeal during a press conference held in Abuja.

At the press conference were Comrade Terry Obeih, President General, Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders/NENYLCW, Alhaji Balarabe Rufai, President, Northern Youth Congress/ Vice President, NENYLCW, Aare Oladotun Hassan Esq, President, Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide/ Secretary General, NENYLCW, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, National President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide/ Publicity Secretary, NENYLCW, Comrade Emmanuel Zopmal, President, Middle-Belt Youth Council/ Organising Secretary, NENYLCW and Alhaji Hamisu Dass, President, North-East Youth Assembly/Treasurer, NENYLCW.

They said having reviewed the developments, it was in the best interest of the country to abort the protest.

According to them, “We took our time to study the intent of the protest and their organisers.

“However, three days to the said protest, the true organisers, as well as their intentions remain a mystery. Up till this moment, no one could point to the real identity of those engineering the protest. It, therefore, becomes dangerous to jump into such a ship.

“Having met and reviewed the situation, we declare as follows: That we are not a party to the protest and condemn it in its entirety.

“We are aware of the current hardship in the country, but it has become expedient to remind Nigerians that these problems were inherited. In the first place, fuel subsidy removal was a landmine laid for the current government by the immediate past administration.

“We are telling Nigeria youths that we are not part of the protest because we were not carried along in the planning and hoodlums are planning to hijack the process.

“As the apex youth organization in the country with over 407 ethnic nationality organizations, we were not carried along, rather Sowore and other personalities who are abroad are planning to use hapless Nigerians to achieve their selfish aims. This must not be allowed to happen.

We call on Nigerians to jettison the proposed national protest and do proper consultation with the critical youth stakeholders to avoid hijacking it and setting our country on fire.”

While reaffirming their support for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, they added that “in as much as we admit that there are challenges facing the country, we don’t believe that protest is the way forward.

“Rather, we should all keep faith with the government as it makes conscious efforts to restore the fortunes of the country.

“Without mincing words, we restate that the entire Nigerian youths have confidence in President Tinubu’s government and would not do anything to jeopardise its efforts.

“In most cases, it only gets better after it has gotten worse, and that is the current situation in the country.

“Anyone looking for the youths to be used as sacrificial lambs should check elsewhere; never again shall we allow ourselves to be victims of such a nationwide action.”