By Franca Ofili
The Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has expressed confidence in its ability to end the decade-long leadership crisis in the council caused by constitutional disputes.
The Chairman of the committee, Mr Buhari Shehu, stated this at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.
Shehu said the committee would embark on zonal consultations to collate inputs for the review of the council’s constitution.
He explained that the consultations would help produce a document to guide the future affairs of the council.
According to him, the committee will manage the council’s affairs for one year.
It will also conduct elections into the offices of Trustees, the Governing Council, and other leadership positions in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, especially the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
Shehu said the committee would refocus the council’s operations to serve the national interest and amend provisions of the constitution that hinder outreach to Nigerian youths.
He added that the committee would also undertake other activities aimed at promoting youth welfare, subject to the approval of the relevant authorities.
Shehu urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the country’s youth, stressing that they still have the capacity and competence to assume leadership positions despite the challenges within the council.
He assured that once a proper constitution emerges, both the youths and the council’s executives would abide by it to ensure credible and transparent leadership.
“I appeal to security agencies, youth organisations, and the general public to disregard any claims of leadership arising from unapproved congresses.
“No individual or group should parade themselves as the leadership or Trustees of the National Youth Council of Nigeria,” he said.
A representative of the Ministry of Youth Development on the committee, Ms Kehinde Awojoola, said the IMC would submit its recommendations to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) after its deliberations.
According to her, the recommendations will determine whether the NYCN should remain registered under new Trustees or operate without being registered with the CAC.
Awojoola listed members of the committee as: Mr Buhari Ibrahim Shehu (Chairman); Ms Kehinde Awojoola (Ministry of Youth Development); and Mr Adeleke Adebajo (Ogun – South West).
Others are Mr Uzoh Ifeanyi (Enugu – South East); Mr Muhammad Sule (Kano – North West); Ms Josephine Eni (Cross River – South South); Ms Blessing Okwe (Benue – North Central); Mr Kaka Bundi (Borno – North East); and Mr Sagir Yana (CAC representative).
It would be recalled that on Oct. 6, the CAC withdrew the NYCN’s certificate over incessant leadership tussles that have plagued the council for years.
Ifeanyi said that before the dissolution of the council’s executives and the withdrawal of its certificate, there were as many as five versions of the 2018 constitution in circulation.
He explained that different factions had used these versions to manipulate leadership processes within the council.
“After investigations by the Ministry and the CAC, it was discovered that the only authentic constitution that went through due process was the 2012 constitution,” he said.
Ifeanyi added that all executives who emerged using the 2018 constitutions were declared null and void.
He stressed that it was time for the council to adopt an acceptable constitution and elect a legitimate leadership.
According to him, the leadership disputes had resulted in about 128 court cases across the country, but with the latest development, the CAC would write to the courts to put an end to the cases.
NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA