Youth Dissociate Themselves From Jonathan's 2015 Ambition

The Nigerian youths under the banner of The Progressives Youth Platform, TPYP, has declared that the youths in the country will dissociate themselves from President Goodluck Jonathan’s ambition to return as the President of Nigeria in the 2015 general elections.

The Convener of the platform, Comrade Abiola Hamid and National Project Coordinator, Ahmed Somoye, said in a statement that the second term ambition of President Jonathan is not worth the trust of the Nigerian youths.

Abiola recounted how the Nigerian youths overwhelmingly declared to support President Jonathan in 2011, but later regretted it as the action was met with gross disappointments on almost all the promises made by the President.

“Another four years is too much to gamble with for Nigerian youths deprived of many good things which our counterparts in other parts of the world have surpassed. It is worrisome that out of the total population of the youths in this country, which is about 70 million, only 3% of that population is gainfully employed, while another 70% of same population is either unemployed or engaged in cheap labours not dignifying enough for humanity. Another 7% that manages to be self-employed have many issues to struggle with such as poor electricity and lack of enabling atmosphere to thrive”, Abiola noted.

Abiola, a former Public Relations Officer of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, which is the umbrella body for youth organisations in Nigeria, retreated that hopes of Nigerian youths have been fatally dashed with growing failed promises, deepening corruptions, insecurity, unemployment and deliberate destructions of the education sector witnessed under President Jonathan’s administration.

Abiola said “as former PRO of the Youth Council, I was part of history that led to youth declaration for President Jonathan in 2011. We took a grave risk which we now regret seriously. What the Nigerian youths seek at the moment is alternative that can salvage the present state of danger that the Nigerian system has been plunged into”.

In his own words, Comrade Somoye said: “We have every reason to identify with the opposition platform. Globally, opposition engender check on the ruling party, which drives the society towards change and development. New ideas must be welcomed; we cannot afford to stand still and struggle between 3,500 and 5,000 megawatts for the nation of over 60 million people in a period of 15 years (1999-2014) since the ruling party took over power.

Nigeria is the only country that is poor among the ranks of leading petroleum exporting countries in the world. It is sad and worrisome that Nigerian youths only live to survive while potentials deposited in them by God keep wasting and unexploited”.

He added that, “It is very pathetic and unfortunate the recent ugly incident that occurred at the NIS job recruitment that claimed the lives of over 20 Nigerian youths, who were in search of jobs that were not there. This is another major reason to confirm that the youths
will not go with President Jonathan in the coming general elections”.

According to the convener, the group which has over 200 local organisations under the platform, also has 50 different organisations across various countries in its Diaspora network and more than 70 online platforms to drive the change agenda as 2015 general elections draw closer.

“The power of the youth is enormous and we will prove that once again in 2015. We shall continue to try possible options open to us until governance truly becomes the tool for development in our country”, Abiola concluded.

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