By Myke Uzendu
The Amanyanabo of Elem Kalabari, Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, has called on Nigerian youths to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying the government should be given more time to implement its development agenda.
Asari-Dokubo made the appeal while hosting the leadership of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) at his palace in Elem, Port Harcourt, ahead of the council’s National Thanksgiving Service at Salvation Ministries.
The thanksgiving service was organised to celebrate recent achievements of the council, including programmes and court judgments that resolved the leadership crisis within the NYCN.
Addressing the youth leaders, Asari-Dokubo argued that countries often benefit more from allowing incumbent administrations to complete their programmes rather than replacing them prematurely.
He said President Tinubu inherited enormous challenges and appealed to Nigerians, particularly the youth, to be patient with the administration.
“I want to call on Nigerian youths to stand on the right side of history by supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In many countries, leadership that is allowed to continue often produces more results than leadership that is abruptly terminated,” he said.
According to him, the President remains committed to addressing Nigeria’s challenges and believes the benefits of his policies will become evident with time.
Meanwhile, the National Youth Council of Nigeria condemned the rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities, warning that such crimes were damaging the country’s image and threatening national development.
Speaking after the thanksgiving service, NYCN President, Ambassador Sukubo Sara-Igbe, expressed concern over the increasing involvement of young people in violent crimes, describing the trend as unacceptable.
He urged youths engaged in criminal activities to abandon such acts, stressing that Nigeria’s future depended on peace, security and responsible citizenship.
“Our advice to Nigerian youths is that they should not take the law into their own hands. We appeal to those involved in banditry, kidnapping and other social vices to desist because Nigeria belongs to all of us,” he said.
Sara-Igbe warned that the council would collaborate with the Federal Government and security agencies to identify and bring perpetrators of criminal activities to justice if they failed to change their ways.
He also lamented that insecurity had continued to tarnish Nigeria’s international reputation, saying the actions of a few individuals should not define the country’s image abroad.
Also speaking, NYCN Deputy President, Ambassador Innocent Nduanya, disclosed that the council had developed a blueprint to support government efforts in tackling insecurity while introducing programmes aimed at empowering Nigerian youths.
Nduanya said the council would soon unveil the security blueprint and partner with local and international organisations to improve the welfare of young Nigerians.
