Consultative Front (NCFront) has described the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari for the inclusion of youth in appointments into the Boards and Committees of the Federal Government as hypocritical.
NCFront spokesman, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, in a statement issued and released to newsmen, said President Buhari must be told in unambiguous terms that Nigerian youths deserve more than the usual promises of political appointments that have failed to materialize after close to seven years in office years, stressing that Nigerian youth have seen more than enough deceit to be hoodwinked by late-night promises from an administration confronted with crisis of integrity; particularly on the eve of National Convention of the ruling party.
“The promise of inclusion into Boards and Committees of the Federal Government is therefore not only self-serving but further attests to the usual lip-service of Buhari’s administration to issues that bother on the future of Nigerian youth. It is unfortunate that a government that refuses to accord electoral reform the attention and seriousness it deserves will latch on promises of appointments into boards and committees when greater hope lies ahead in the future only if the electoral process is enhanced by reforms anticipated by the Electoral Body and for which President Buhari has been playing the Ostrich.
“It thus appear the directive for late hour inclusion of youth into boards and committees of the federal government became a hurriedly conceived bait for the Buhari administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), having realized that Nigerian youths are determined in their quest to influence the choice of leadership in 2023.
“It should be curious that President Buhari has realized the need for inclusion of youth in appointment when he has less than two years left of his eight years tenure. It is on record that both President Buhari and the APC never prioritized youth inclusion in governance in spite of elaborate promises during their electioneering campaigns ahead of 2015 and 2019 general elections.
“Contrary to the impression the government sought to create with the recent directive, it is undeniable that ‘young people with requisite skills’ and competences have been denied appointive positions in the composition of Federal Executive Council after the 2015 and 2019 polls in spite of promises to ensure the participation of youth.” Dr. Tanko said.
Dr. Tanko also said: “It is deceptive by the Buhari administration to be dangling board appointments at the late hour when it is evident that business of governance would become increasingly overshadowed by politicking ahead of 2023 general elections. The directive by President Buhari is also diversionary considering the fact that the government has not been forthcoming with explanations regarding worrisome issues of ballooning debt profile and wide-scale corruption which assumed a new dimension with the recent importation of adulterated fuel which is projected to cost a whooping sum in excess of N200 billion in remediation.”
NCFront said Nigerian youth will therefore not be deceived by the so-called “deliberate policy of the APC for a robust succession plan”, reiterating its call on citizens of conscience to join the rescuing movement aimed at saving Nigeria from the present ‘festering anarchy and impending doom’.
NCFront reassured that it is only by teaming up with the rescue agenda, whose process is ongoing with Third Force as alternative platform, that a New Nigeria that genuinely works for all can emerge and, more importantly, in fulfilling the desires of the generality of Nigerian youth to effectively participate in governance and bring about desired momentum for the real change democracy offers.