An assemblage of over 180 civil society organization in Nigeria, Civil Society Groups for Good Governance, CSGGG, has warned the socio-democratic group, Yewa/Awori Youth Network, against making false assertions, accusations and inflammable statements capable of denying their district, further benefits from the federal government.
Reacting to a statement made by the network, accusing the Senator representing Ogun West at the National Assembly, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi of allegedly personalising projects funded by the federal government; the group described the statement as an unsubstantial and baseless finding politically orchestrated and sponsored to bring disrepute to the commitment and milestones attained by Yayi.
The President of the group, Comrade Ogakwu Dominic, in a press statement made available to newsmen on Thursday, equally faulted the allegations that the senator had connived with some federal government agencies to portray projects funded by the federal government as one done from his personal coffers.
He emphasized that projects introduced or executed by Yayi, should serve as a source of pride not a source of political witch-hunting.
The statement reads: “As watchdog of the society and as first hand observers who were invited by the organizers of the three days empowerment programme of Distinguished Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola aka Yayi, our attention has been drawn to the recent publications by Yewa/Awori Youth Network, against Senator Solomon Yayi. While it is obvious as usual that political traducers and co-travelers are on the verge of series of campaign of calumny against a performing steward and it may not be too necessary to dignify their action, it is also equally important to put the record straight to avoid the pitfall of a poor public perception of the good intentions of what can be described as the “Mother of all empowerment” as we cannot sit back and allow their fabricated tales gain momentum for even a second.
“Senator Yayi, has never taken personal credit for project executed, in fact if the network did their due diligence without bias or have the interest of Ogun West as they claimed, by keenly recording the empowerment schemes of Senator Adeola, they would have discovered that Yayi, has always, disclosed and given credit to the MDAs where Zonal Interventions Projects are domiciled or facilitated from. Also he openly stated that the projects were facilitated to enhance and improve the district that has suffered lack of major development for the longest time as a result of bad representation and incapable leadership.
“For deeper understanding, in the scholarship and bursary schemes as alleged by the network, Senator Yayi indicated that it was in collaboration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), for the ICT training on security, he facilitated for traditional rulers in Ogun West, he mentioned it was done in collaboration with the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), and in the area of empowerment of artisans and various vocational trainings, he categorically disclosed that it was in collaboration with the Nigeria Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research.
“We believe that the Yewa/Awori Youth Network, are just fault finders and puppets to shadow parties, that are invested in diagnosing loopholes in political positions they have interest in. May we reiterate that Senator Yayi’s empowerment programs are unprecedented in annals of National Assembly empowerment initiatives, because it takes only a transparent, committed, visionary and accountable leader like Yayi to carry out such massive initiatives. The network should take pride in the achievements not fight or work to condemn it, because such as we all know can bridge further initiative or benefits.
“Yewa/ Awori Youth Network attack on Senator Yayi, is very inconsequential and also a sheer display of ignorance because the people have come to realize the benefits of complete entrenchment of dividends of quality representation first hand through the Adeola aka Yayi’s empowerment schemes across the five local government areas in the senatorial district. From their watery accusations, it is now a known fact that the network, lack an understanding of the workings of the National Assembly and Zonal Intervention Projects as domiciled in the MDAs.” It added.
