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Tinubu Inaugurates Youth Confab Planning C’ttee, Gives Reason For Subsidy Removal

Published

5 months ago

March 10, 2025

President Bola Tinubu on Monday said he removed fuel subsidy to protect the future of the unborn generation.

President Tinubu stated this at the inauguration of the National Youth Congress Planning Committee at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment, declaring that the government policies are designed to secure a prosperous future.

He said: “I’ve listened to you carefully, today is not for long speeches, I just want to reassure you that you are you hope of the this country. Everything hangs on your future, every decision that I’ve taken is all about tomorrow.

“When you remove oil subsidy, you’re protecting the future of generations yet unborn, the youth. Where’s the investment for the infrastructure? When you listen to the majority of professionals talking about Japa, leaving Nigeria, it’s because if you grow prosperity back home and you empower people, they will not bother to leave, they will stay home. This is your home, to develop, build and make prosper.

“Government of the day is all about you, take it very seriously. You can abuse politicians all you like, but politics is about development and the future generation. I’m glad you are all here as a committee to inspire today, tomorrow and the day after. I’m with you.”

President Tinubu said when his administration started, things looked difficult and tough but that he has been able to weather the storm.

He said: “When we started, it looked so foggy, dicey and hopeless. We tried hard and we were fetching water from a dry well, but today the economy has turned the corner; prices are falling, confidence in our economy is improving, investors are looking in, technology is advancing. You have the opportunity.

“I’ve listened to the remark of your spokesperson, you have the great opportunity of advancing the development of this country, it’s all in your hands. Mine is to help navigate and push and lift the heavy weight problems, so I can clear the path for you to have a very great future, but it’s in your hands.

“Look at me in the face, tell me whatever you think is wrong and the way you want things done or suggestions. We’ll try to implement all of it as long as it is for the prosperity of this country.

“Mine is to assure you that we’ll do everything possible to make Nigeria a better place for you, but we can’t do it alone, you represent over 60% of our population, you’re the heartbeat of our nation and I hope you’ll take this opportunity very seriously.

“I am with you, I repeat again. I therefore inaugurate the committee. I wish you a very successful period, an interesting one. Let’s employ technology every way possible, let’s look at our farming conditions, let’s hear what we can do to empower youths in their firm spirit, let’s work for food sovereignty of this country.

“I like you, I can’t be youth again, maybe in the next life, I’m envious of all of you.”

In his remarks, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the confab will be convoked to promote youth engagement.

Olawande noted that President Tinubu’s administration is a listening government that is ready to be attentive and incorporate the ideas and incorporate the ideas and contributions of young people in governance.

He said that the members are carefully selected as representatives were drawn from the Federal Ministry of Finance, other related Federal Ministries, Civil Society Organisations, Non-governmental organisations the World Bank, amongst many others.

He said they are to champion and plan for the conference that will impact the life of the youths of Nigeria

According to the Minister, “the government aims to create opportunities for the youth and is focused on addressing their concerns.

He urged Nigerian youths to take advantage of the youth confab to contribute developmental policies.

A lead member of the youth confab planning committee and Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, lauded President Tinubu’s commitment in recognising the youths.

“I would use this opportunity to appreciate the recognition of youths by the President”

He outlined that the 30-day National Youth Confab will be segmented into virtual consultations, regional meetings and the last week of it will engage youths at the Abuja conference.

Itodo urged the government to keep the confab completely insulated from politics.

It would be recalled that President Tinubu during his 2024 Independence Day broadcast, announced the plan for a 30-day national youth conference to address critical issues facing the country’s youths, including unemployment, education, and political participation.

The Committee is to be chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth Development.

Among those inaugurated are Senate Chairman on Niger Delta Development Commission Asuquo Ekpeyong, Linus Okorie, Dr Garba Aliyu, Babatunde Adeleke, Francis Sani, Azeezat Yishawu, Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, Hauwa Nana Ibrahim, Zara Goni, Oladele Nihi, Dare Ojepe, Uchechukwu George Egbe, Samson Itodo amongst many others.

Also represented in the planning committee are representatives of the Federal Ministry of Finance,the World Bank, Non-governmental organisations

Present at the inauguration were Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, Minister of Youth development, Ayodele Wisdom, Spokespersons to the President, Mr Sunday Dare and Mr Bayo Onanuga Senior Special Assistant on media, Tunde Rahman.

News

Bumper Harvest: Foundation Distributes 6,000 Fertilizers To Farmers In Bauchi

Published

10 hours ago

August 14, 2025

Editor

A group, Wunti Al-Khair Foundation has donated 6,000 50kg bags of fertilizer to farmers in Bauchi state in order to have a bumper harvest.

Speaking during the flag off ceremony of the distribution of the fertilizers on Thursday, Mr Abubakar Mohammed, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Wunti Al-Khair Foundation, said the distribution was only for the indigent farmers in the state.

He said the fertilizers would be distributed to farmers in underserved communities across the three Senatorial Districts of the state.

“We are gathered here to flag off the free distribution of fertilizers to farmers, especially the indigent farmers that don’t have the means to buy fertilizer for their farms.

“That is the reason why the founder of this foundation bought the fertilizers and distributed them to the low income farmers in the state.

“We have gone round the nooks and crannies of the state to identify the underserved communities and those that deserve this particular gesture.

“We planned to distribute about 6,000 bags of fertilizer and due to the populous nature of the Bauchi LGA, they have the largest share but some other local governments too have hundreds of beneficiaries which we divided into Senatorial zones,” he said.

According to him, today was the flagging off of the Bauchi South Senatorial District, adding that the extension of the gesture would commence in Bauchi North and Bauchi Central Senatorial Districts tomorrow.

Mohammed explained that the only criteria used in selecting the beneficiaries were underserved communities and low income farmers, adding that “we know that a large number of the farmers in Bauchi state are low income farmers.

“Those are the people that we identified, verified and they are our beneficiaries and we have warned the general public about the activities of some unscrupulous elements that go round to impersonate our foundation.

“Wunti Al-Khair Foundation is not charging a kobo for every part of its activities, be it education, healthcare, economic empowerment and community development”.

Responding, one of the beneficiaries, Emmanuel Samson, described the support as a timely intervention that would greatly enhance his farming activities and appreciated the foundation for the intervention.

Another beneficiary, Salisu Maidawa, who was short of words for the gesture, said the gesture came at a time when he was in dire need of it.

News

IYC Urges Tinubu To Sack NCDMB Boss

Published

10 hours ago

August 14, 2025

Editor

Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Western Zone, has urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately sack Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for allegedly not “keeping up to the fundamental mandate,” upon which the agency was established.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by Comrade Nicholas Igarama, Comrade Ebi Joshua Olowolayemo, and Comrade Tare Magbei, Western Zone
Chairman, Secretary, and Information Officer respectively, and made available to newsmen in Warri on Thursday, August 14, 2015.

According to the IYC, the call for Ogbe’s sack becomes necessary following his incompetence and ethnic bias, adding that Ogbe has turned the agency meant for the whole Niger Delta to his Itsekiri ethnic group alone.

The IYC, while noting that efforts to meet the NCDMB Executive Secretary to discuss critical issues as they affect the region and its people have proved abortive, said it can no longer fold it arms and watch while things go from bad to worse.

“As Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Ogbe has consistently failed to input his supposed industry track record in the advancement of the mandate upon which the agency was founded.

“He has continually had a sectional engagement with his fellow Itsekiri Kits and Kin, thereby shutting all other ethnic nationalites in the Niger Delta region out.

“Repeatedly, he avoided critical youth engagement in the region while sponsoring that of his Itsekiri ethnicity through different human capacity development initiatives, while other ethnic nationalites are left unattended.

“As Ijaw, mostly from the western flank where Engr. Ogbe also hails from, we will not sit and watch others benefit from the resources that we produce without our practical involvement to better the lives of our people as well.

“It is on record that the leadership of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Western Zone has tried to establish communication with Engr. Ogbe, for the last ten months, but every medium of communication to get his attention has fundamentally proven to be abortive.

“As youths, we can no longer have leaders in office who have now equated themselves to demi-god and have refused to attend to most significantly youthful issues in the Niger Delta Region.

“To this end, we therefore call on President Bola Ahmed Tinibu to immediately sack Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, who has consistently displayed disregard for critical actors in the Niger Delta and has also exhibited the highest level of gross inefficiency by not keeping up to the fundamental mandate upon which NCDMB was founded,” the statement reads.

The IYC also called for the probe Ogbe as Executive Secretary after his sack.

Efforts to reach Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, the General Manager, Corporate Communications, NCDMB, for reaction proved abortive.

News

I’m Being Impersonated – Goodluck Jonathan Disowns Social Media Account

Published

12 hours ago

August 14, 2025

Editor

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Thursday said he is being impersonated by fraudsters.

Jonathan alleged that a fraudulent Instagram handle has been impersonating him.

In a statement by his Media Aide,
Ikechukwu Eze, the former President insisted that he does not operate any Instagram handle.

The statement is titled ‘Beware of fake Instagram account impersonating H.E. Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’.

“Our attention has been drawn to a fraudulent Instagram account operating under the handle goodluck_ebelejonathan, which is falsely impersonating former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

“This impostor account has been deceitfully posting content, some copied from Dr. Jonathan’s Facebook page, while pretending to represent the former President.

“We wish to emphasise that Dr. Jonathan does not operate any Instagram account.

“The media and members of the public are strongly advised to disregard, avoid sharing, or promoting any content originating from this fake profile,” the statement read.