From Joseph Amedu,Lokoja
A group of Nigerian youths in South African, has solicited support for the Presidential aspiration of GovernorYahaya Bello of Kogi State.
The youths under the aegis of Nigeria Diasporan Youths in South Africa (NDYSA) at their quarterly meeting, held in the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, UP, Pretoria, South Africa on the 26th May, 2022, appraised the political development in Nigeria against the backdrop of 2023 Presidential Elections.
The outcome of the meeting was made available to Our Correspondent through the leader and Executive Director of the group, Dr. Sunday Ayo-Ojo Bayode.
The meeting which had in attendance over 40 youths drawn from Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town having considered all Politicians aspiring to succeed President Muhammed Buhari in 2023, decided to endorse and support Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to take over and drive Nigeria to the Eldorado of their dream.
The Leader and Executive Director of the Group, Dr Sunday Ayo-Ojo Bayode, a Research Assistance at the University of Pretoria, stressed the need for Nigerians, particularly, Nigerian Youths to play a lead role in ensuring the emergence of Yahaya Bello as the next president of Nigeria.
Dr Bayode stated that their findings revealed that over 80 per cent of Yahaya Bello’s appointees were youths below the age of 40.
He added: “His widespread endorsement among most youths’ groups in Nigeria stands him out, his interest for the youths, the less privileged and persons living with disabilities could be read everywhere, with an unprecedented 80 per cent of appointees coming from the youth class, is the realization that the young as leaders of tomorrow”.
Also speaking at the gathering, Group’s Secretary General, Igba Samuel Ajogwu, an indigene of Kogi State, explained what informed the decision of the Group.
Ajogwu, a PhD Candidate, University of Pretoria, said the greatest challenge in Nigeria presently remained the issue of insecurity and unemployment.
“My recent visit to Nigeria and my state clearly indicates that Kogi State is one of the secured places in Nigeria, as we speak across Nigeria, the highest concentration of youths in Nigerian are in tertiary institutions that have been at home owing to ASUU strikes for the past 3 to 4 months.
”The Two State Owned Universities in Kogi have been having uninterrupted academic session. The governor must be doing something serious.
”He is youthful and down to earth courageous. We shall mobilize ourselves to Nigeria to support his emergence,” he said.
Privileged to be at the meeting at the instance of some officials of the group, was Abdullahi W. Zakari, the Director General of the Kogi State Office of the Public Defender and Citizens’ Rights Commission, PDCRC.
Zakari was at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa with other officials of Commission including the Chairman of the Governing Council, Muizideen Abdullahi Yoonus.
Zakari thanked the group for their support for the Governor, His Excellency Alh. Yahaya Bello, and promised to convey their message to him accordingly.
The Director General said that the Governor has demonstrated leadership and capacity in the handling of State Affairs, adding that posterity will commend them for their decision.
He informed the group of the purpose of their visit which speak volumes of the human capacity development of His Excellency as well as his interest in access to justice for the less privileged and human Rights of Citizens and residents of the state. .
He explained that the officials of the State were in the Centre to conclude on the implementation modalities of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Kogi State Government for the benefit of Kogi PDCRC and Centre for Human Rights.
”Apart from establishing the Commission exclusively for the indigent in accessing justice free of any fee, and to take responsibility for human rights in the state, he has executed an agreement for the continuous training of law officers of the Commission,” Zakari said.