NIGERIAN ETHNIC NATIONALITIES YOUTH LEADERS MEET IN ABUJA

Youth leaders of Nigerian ethnic nationalities met on Monday in Abuja to review the state of the nation.

According to the leader of the group Alhaji Shettima Yerima (President Arewa Youths Consultative Forum and National President of Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders), the meeting became necessary as they were worried by the recent uncertain twists in the country which were punctuated by crises and conflicting perceptions.

The meeting which was attended by 54 ethnic youth groups, examined the following main areas of concern:

1. The security situation in the country
2. Uncertainties in the political and economic environment

The meeting also assessed key events and developments which were expected to affect the nation in the coming years.
The meeting was also necessitated by their concern over the deepening poverty and restiveness among the youths due to long neglect by the authorities. Significantly, the meeting reviewed the present interplay between the worsening economic and security situation in the country.

OBSERVATIONS
The meeting critically observed that for the past few years, Nigerians especially the youths, are killed, maimed, and generally agonized under various guises while elites and politicians only quarrel and raise further tensions with no idea for solutions.
It’s close to three years since the present government was sworn in with Muhammadu Buhari as president and Nigerians, especially the youths, are yet to feel any meaningful change. It’s been one challenge after the other, from stinging poverty, to mass joblessness, to pervading insecurity, to painful fuel scarcity, to poor power supply, to a persistent instability in the value of the naira.

1. Power supply: Nigerians have been groaning over epileptic power supply which has crippled many businesses in spite of government promise to expand electricity generation and distribution to 40,000 MW.
2. Economic crisis: The value of the Naira has continued to dwindle and government annual budgets were all the time controversial and wrapped around embarrassing scandals.
3. Fuel scarcity: There seems to be no solution from government to the intermitent fuel scarcity in the country even after a 100 % increase in pump prices.
4. Security challenges: While the current government boasts of focusing on curbing 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 kidnappings for ransom, armed robbery, communal conflicts that are taking heavy tolls and all forms of brigandage across the country.
5. Unemployment: Nigerians especially the youths are  yet to witness the promised 1 million new jobs annually made during 2015 election campaigns. While Nigerians wait for for the fulfilment of this promise, many who have jobs are being fired on a daily basis as most companies lay off staff due to the prevailing harsh economic realities. Youths that used to be employed have now joined the teeming population of unemployed persons and consequently vulnerable to all forms of indoctrination and radicalisation.

RESOLUTIONS
Going by the above observations, the meeting resolved as follows:

1. That the present government under President Muhammadu Bihari has failed in all ramifications and Nigerians, particularly the youths must begin to exermine other options and review the leadership selection process.
2. While we condemn all manifestations of violence anywhere in the country, we call on the youths to resist the temptations of being used as tools for the dirty jobs of unscrupulous politicians, religious and ethnic jingoists and merchants of hate and division.
3. We insist that government must take visibly serious steps towards an extensive restructuring of the country as the only remaining available solution to the current economic and political woes.
4. We resolve to mobilize youths across all ethnic divides to work for a more stable and guaranteed future devoid of undue manipulation by the present crop of bankrupt elite.
5. We therefore call on the youths everywhere to wake up and participate actively in the leadership selection processes in their local governments, states and the federation.