The Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide (YCYW) has declared ‘unflinching support’ for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), condemning the multiple attempts to demean his office and cause disaffection between him and President Muhammadu Buhari.
The apex pan-Yoruba youth group said the waves of attacks against the Vice President were targeted at reducing his growing national acceptability and untainted popularity as a true patriot committed to the service of his fatherland.
Since the start of President Buhari’s second term, there have been claims that the office of the Vice President was being weakened. It is a claim the Presidency has repeatedly denied.
The establishment of an Economic Advisory Council to report directly to the President, to replace the Economic Management Team, which was chaired by Professor Osinbajo, fueled the claims.
As news of the firing of the 35 VP’s aide made the rounds, the claims resurfaced with the Presidency issuing statements on Saturday insisting that there is no rift between both men and that the move was part of a reorganisation in the government. President Buhari maintained the “reorganisation” position in his brief comments on the matter.
However, in a statement jointly signed by the YCYW President, Aremo (Barr.) Oladotun Hassan and National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Sotade, the group made a clarion call to all stakeholders and leaders of thoughts in the country, particularly in Yoruba Land, “to act decisively to rescue the situation from enemies of progress.
“In view of the recent hydra-headed negative attacks targeted at the person of Professor Yemi Osinbajo and his Office as the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we, the Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide (YCYW) has pledged its unflinching support for Vice President Osinbajo.
“We want to state clearly that the orchestrated evil agenda of such persons aimed at possibly demeaning the Vice President’s towering integrity and principled ethos as ‘Omoluabi T’ooto (True Virtuousness)’ is a plan bound to fail.
“This was part of the resolution of the Council’s emergency meeting with other youth leaders held in Lagos on 15th November, 2019.
“We unanimously demand for a clarion call to rally support for the Office of the Vice President in this trying period in the presidency, while calling for an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, for an Emergency Stakeholders Meeting of all leading Yoruba Youth Leaders at a date soon not later than 20th November, 2019.
”This proposed meeting is aimed at seeking clarity on the reported controversies within the presidency, particularly the recent sporadic media attacks to the noble person and office of the VP by certain persons in some political quarters, perceived from both within and outside the shores of Yoruba Land; as well as critically discussing and dissecting all issues of mutual interests on the state of the nation, security, economy, youth development, among other national issues.
“Nevertheless, we call on all Nigerians and the global community to ignore this clandestine evil modus operandi of agent provocateurs spearheading the various premeditated and obviously sponsored attacks against the Vice President recently in the public domain.”
The statement further read: “We intend to utilize the opportunity of this meeting to further ventilate our growing concerns on the internal growth of the Yoruba Land (South West Geopolitical Zone) and other national interests, in view of the large domiciled assets and huge economic resources it contributes to the national IGR. However, its huge contributions are at variance with the little gains to our marginalized people, both in human capital and socio-economic growth of the region.
“We urge all Nigerians to ‘Think Nigeria First’ by ensuring that together we build stronger bonds of patriotism and continue supporting the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
“In the light of these issues, we suggest a National Peace and Unity Dialogue Summit to be organized across all regions of the country, tentatively in the first quarter of 2020. We also propose that the resolutions collectively reached in all the regions shall be decided upon in the grand national Summit to be held in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This summit, we believe, would help to peacefully resolving all our common challenges, and proffer immediate and long-term panaceas by healing our wounds jointly.
“Together, as partners in progress, we shall collectively take Nigeria to the expected greater height.”
