A group of northern Christian youths has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give priority to appointing northern Christians to principals’ positions in his government, saying that it mobilized Christians in the region to vote for the president. The group made this call today in a congratulatory message to the president. ‘’It is with great pride that we recall our unwavering support and the efforts made by our organization to mobilize Christians from the northern region to vote for you.”
It will be recalled that the Northern Christian Youth Professionals, among the very few Christians in the region to come out publicly and declare support for Tinubu and his vice, who are both Muslims, especially the APC chieftains led by former Secretary of the Federation Mr. Lawal Babachir and former Speaker of House Representatives Yakubu Dogara, rejected the ‘’muslim muslim’’ ticket back in July when Vice President Kashim Shettima was picked as Tinubu’s running mate.
The Christians are now asking ‘’for increased representation and inclusion in decision-making processes. By appointing deserving Northern Christians to important roles such as the Secretary General of the Federation, Security Chiefs, and other principal positions’’, such appointments will not only acknowledge their collective support but also ensure that the diverse voices and perspectives of the northern region are duly represented at the highest levels of governance.
The press statement from the group also urged President Tinubu to revitalize the Forest Guards, which he promised in his Renewed Hope manifesto would help to monitor, identify, and track down violent and criminal groups in the likes of Boko Haram and bandits in the forests. “To recognize the magnitude of this task and the impact it can have on national security, the revitalized Forest Guards can recruit and employ one hundred and eighty-five thousand young Nigerian individuals within the first six months in fulfillment of the one million jobs promised from the digital economy’’.
The statement signed by the chairman of the group, Isaac Abrak, says it demands that the President revitalize the Forest Guard in his first 6 months of his administration, sitting on his success and that of his vice president, who both created government agencies that employ youths en masse to curb insecurity when they were both governors of Lagos and Borno states, respectively. ’’Drawing upon your experience as the Governor of Lagos State, where you successfully utilized mass youth employment through the establishment of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, and your Vice President Kashim Shettima’s instrumental role in establishing the Civilian Joint Task Force as a Governor in Borno State,” as such, NCYP says they have great confidence in Tinubu and Kashim’s ability to make this ambitious plan a reality within the first 6 months of their administration.
The group further praised the President for announcing the removal of the fuel subsidy, describing it as ‘’audacious’’ and a bold step that demonstrates his commitment to implementing crucial reforms for the betterment of the nation, urging the President to remain steadfast in his resolve and push forward with removing the fuel subsidy, keeping in mind its potential to create a more sustainable and equitable economic environment for all Nigerians.