SW youth groups decry marginalisation of SS, SE in NNPC appointment

• Nigeria unity is non-negotiable, says Yoruba monarch
The Yoruba Youths Congress (YYC) and the Coalition of Southwest Youths Groups have kicked against the recent appointments of new managers in the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

They lamented that the Federal Government made appointments, which had 10 new managers from the North, three from the South West and two from the South South geo-political zones.

The YYC National President, Dapo Adepoju, declared that the appointment sounded like another quit notice, as the South East was conspicuously short-changed in the list.

Adepoju said this while addressing journalists in Akure, lamenting that the appointments were lopsided and did not reflect the unity of the country.

The group called for the immediate review of the appointment in the interest of unity, peace and tranquility.

It went on: “Not all the geo-political zones were carried along. The appointments have 10 Hausa Fulanis, three Yorubas and two from the South South region without any representation from the South East. It is highly condemnable.

“In the first instance, the South South should get the highest representation, being the hen that lays the golden egg. And leaving the South East out of the list sounds like another quit notice.”

Adepoju charged President Muhammadu Buhari to “walk his talk,” stressing that he should justify his statement that “Nigeria belongs to all of us.”

“We all laboured to make sure Buhari/Osinbajo become the President and Vice President of this country and we have not regretted. But we will rise up to correct the government when necessary,” Adepoju said.

The youth leader, who described Buhari as a listening president, assured that the issue would be resolved and corrected. He urged him to take immediate action on the matter.

On his part, the Chairman, Council of Yoruba Traditional Obas and Chiefs in the 19 northern states and Abuja, Ambassador Mohammed Arigbabuwo, has said the unity of Nigeria as a nation is non-negotiable, hence, regional forces calling for the break-up of the country should think twice and consider the sacrifice of the founding fathers, the armed forces and others who laid down their lives to ensure that it remained an indivisible entity.

He stated this while receiving a team of Yoruba Deeper Life Bible Church members, led by Group Pastor Joseph Olugbade in his palace.

Arigbabuwo said Nigerians should consider the unity and interest of the country above personal interest.

According to him, the calls for Biafra, Niger Delta and Oduduwa republics, as well as the quit notice from the northern youth are not in the interest of the country.

Arigbabuwo expressed dismay at the increased rate of crime in the country, citing kidnappings and abductions on the Kaduna-Abuja express way, armed robberies in the south-east and ritual killings in the south-west, which according to him, should worry every right-thinking Nigerian.

“If Nigeria breaks-up today, these problems will still be around, so we have achieved nothing. Only that we’ve gone back to square one because armed robbers operating in the south-east will not want to know whether in Biafra or not; they will continue their activities. Same applies to kidnappers, ritualists and other menace,” he added.