By: Chetachi Ifeme
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Rivers State chapter has described as appalling, the decision of Governor Nyesome Wike to construct additional overhead bridges in the state.
The group said instead of the government boasting of how many industries it has created, graduates it has employed, scholarships it has awarded, millionaires it has raised in seven years, rather, it campaigning about overhead bridges.
Chairman of NYCN in the state, Comrade NwisaBari Bani who stated this while addressing journalists noted that “the current administration has been more of an elitist oriented government than a people oriented one. This could be seen from the boldness of the government in carrying out certain tasks without feeling the people’s impulses”.
He also frowned at the cumbersome process involved in the procedure for the payment of gratuities to senior citizens who have served the state and suggested that it should be decentralized.
” Decentralising it on local government basis, where the various local government headquarters will be use for the exercise will ease the stress on the pensioners,” he said.
Bani called on eligible youths and the Christian communities of the state to arm themselves with their Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) as he has observed the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct a credible election come 2023 taking instance from the recently concluded elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States.
” The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will not in February and March 2023 count prayer points but votes and votes can only be counted via the presentation of our voters cards at our different polling units,” he said.
The youth leader bemoaned the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for its care-free attitude towards finding a lasting solution to the on-going strike by the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU).
He noted that the organization, “shall be watching with keen interest the implementation of the presidential marching order given to the Ministers of Education and Labour to end the ongoing strike with ASUU in the next two weeks.”