APC South- South Youth Council Writes President Tinubu, expresses frustration in state of affairs

An Open Letter To President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) From National Coordinator,

APC South South Youth Council (APC SSYC)

3rd July, 2024

His Excellency,

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR

President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Aso Rock Presidential Villa,

Abuja, FCT

Your Excellency Sir,

I am writing today to bring your attention to the growing concerns of the youth in the South South region and Nigeria at large, which we believe require urgent attention. As the National Coordinator of the APC South South Youth Council (APC SSYC), a support group of our party the All Progressive Congress (APC) and as a progressive young Nigerian, I am compelled to pen down our deep frustration and disappointment with the state of affairs in our country. Despite our unwavering support for your administration, we have witnessed a consistent failure to address the pressing issues affecting the APC youth and Nigerian youths at large.

The nationwide protests against hunger, poverty, and bad governance are a clear indication of the growing discontent among our members and the youth at large. The protests, led by the youth, have highlighted the growing discontent and frustration among Nigerians.

The challenges facing our youth are numerous. The youth will continue to demand change, and it is the government responsibility to listen and act. Therefore, we urge your administration to take immediate action to address the pressing issues affecting us, including, hunger and poverty, unemployment and lack of opportunities, inadequate education and healthcare, insecurity and violence, corruption and mismanagement of resources.

Your Excellency Sir, it is disheartening to note that many of your appointees only deemed it fit to engage with the youth when they heard the drums of protest. This is a testament that they never genuinely cared for the youth before, and only seek to pacify them when their interests are threatened.

This lack of genuine concern for the youth is unacceptable, and we urge you to hold your appointees accountable for their actions. The youth deserve better than tokenistic gestures and lip service.

It is unfortunately to note, in the eve of the protest, some of your ministers, and our elected APC politicians failed to engage with the protesters to calm them down, and address their concerns. This lack of engagement and empathy is a clear indication of their disconnect from the people and their lack of genuine loyalty to your administration.

Worse still, most of your appointees claiming to be concerned about the needs of the youth are nothing but puppets, serving their own interests and paying lip service to our struggles and your administration’s commitment to better the lives of our youths and the nation. They pay mere lip service to the plight of the youth, without genuinely carrying them along in the scheme of things. They fail to provide meaningful solutions, and instead, offer empty promises and tokenistic gestures.

They are wolves in sheep’s clothing, pretending to care about our welfare while they feast on the riches of our nation. We see through their deception! We know their true intentions and we will not be fooled! Their failure to act has further exacerbated the situation, leading to escalating tensions, violence protest and demonstration, deepening mistrust in government and the APC, civil disobedience and resistance and increased frustration among the youth.

Furthermore, we are dismayed by the town hall meetings and stakeholders’ gatherings summoned by some of your appointees and politicians during this times, purportedly to tackle the demands of the protests and challenges of the youth. These gatherings are nothing but a sham, as they are being organized by the same individuals who have fed themselves fat against the interest of the general public, siphoning funds met for nation building and youth development for themselves while leaving the real impoverished masses and suffering youth behind.

The genuine representatives of the youth and the marginalized communities were not invited, and their voices were not heard, instead, the same circle of politicians and appointees who have perpetuated the status quo were assembled to rubber-stamp their own interests.

Mr. President, it is important that your administration engages with the authentic representatives of the youth and the marginalized communities, to ensure that our concerns are genuinely addressed and our rights are respected.

We also urge you to re-evaluate your appointees and ensure that they are truly committed to serving the people, not just their personal interests. We need genuine leaders who will put the needs of the youth above their own.

Mr. President, it is imperative that you take immediate action to address these challenges. The youth are the future of our nation, and their concerns cannot be ignored.

In all, we must acknowledge the efforts of Dr. Dayo Israel, the APC National Youth Leader, who has shown a glimpse of genuineness in engaging youths, young leaders, and stakeholders across the nation. His efforts have ignited hope in many young people about your administration’s commitment to their welfare.

We commend Dr. Israel for his tireless efforts in reaching out to support groups, leaders, and grassroots young stakeholders, listening to their concerns, and amplifying their voices. His dedication is a beacon of light in an otherwise dark landscape.

We encourage Dr. Israel to continue his good works, to keep engaging with the youth, and to ensure that their concerns are brought to the forefront of your administration’s agenda.

In conclusion, we believe that with the likes of Dr. Israel working tirelessly to engage and empower the youth, your administration can tap into the vast potential of Nigerian youths, drive positive change, and leave a lasting legacy.

We urge you, Mr. President, to continue to support and empower the youth, through policies and programmes that address their pressing needs, and to work with leaders like Dr. Dayo Israel who genuinely care about the welfare of the youth.

We believe that it is essential to engage with us, the youth, to find solutions to these challenges. We are eager to work with your administration to ensure that our concerns are addressed.

We hope that you will take our concerns seriously and work with us to build a better future for our nation.

Together, we can build a brighter future for Nigeria, where the youth are empowered to thrive, and the APC party remains a beacon of hope for generations to come.

Signed,

Preye V. Tambou

National Coordinator,

APC South South Youth Council (APC SSYC)