insist Bala, Dokpesi is their preferred choices for 2023 presidential election
….opposes open grazing
….calls for national dialogue
In its 27th Annual Delegates Conference In Yola, the National Chairman Of The Northern Youth Leader’s Forum (NYLF), Comrade Elliot Afiyo in a press conference he tagged “it is time to act” appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to called his minister, aides to order.
Afiyo while addressing Journalists at the NUJ secretariat in Yola condemned the statement credited to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami on the ban on open grazing.
Comrade Elliot who spoke on behalf of the Northern group clearly stated that the open grazing has been the greatest threat to the environment of the northern region and also a major threat to security of lives and property in the entire country.
“We appeal to the President to caution his Ministers and Aides who despite being in government for either four to six years, are still having the opposition mentality.
“In order to enforce completely the ban on open grazing, we call for the establishment of Herder’s Commission or Agency to cater for the needs of the herders through selective programmes so as to effectively Kick-Start the ranching system.” He said
The group have canvassed for national dialogue as one of important issue that can resolve crisis, as it is necessity considering the clamour and demands for restructuring and secessions in the country.
While delivering his speech, he insisted NYLF is having the choice of Senator Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi state and high chief Raymond Dokpesi as their 2023 presidential Preferred candidate.
“This Delegates Conference supposed to be one of the special delegates conference as it was designed or purposed to endorse and announce our own choice candidate for the 2023 presidential election but for some circumstances beyond our control.
The death of the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru who happened to be a brother to our first National Chairman, which also claimed the lives of two of our members, Major Hamza and Major Hayat coupled with the security report at our disposal on the plans by two other presidential hopefuls to cause crisis if peradventure we eventually endorsed and announced our own candidate for 2023 presidential elections, we decided for the sake of peace and in honor of our departed elders and colleagues to shift the endorsement to the 5th of June, 2021, at Abuja Notwithstanding, our decision to endorse either Gov. Bala Mohammed or High Chief Raymond Dokpesi still stands in-spite of intimations and threats. We have convincing reasons to back-up our decision and it is our stand point.
“Since the inception of the forum, Annual Delegates Conferences are being held every year to take stock, identify challenges, proffer solutions and take critical decisions especially on the political direction of the north in this present democratic dispensation and we have been faithful in this course since 1999 except in 2019.
” We are totally opposed to the use of 2014 Constitutional Conference Report `because to us generally in the North, the Report lacks credibility due to the fact that the Delegates especially from the northern part of the country, were hand-picked based on agreements of loyalty.
To this end, the NYLF during our special delegates conference resolved to totally supports the call for national dialogue and ban on open grazing. We call on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency and national interest, to consider these calls as duty calls to obey and immediately too.
“We received with disbelief and astonishment the news of a plane crash which claimed the lives of officers of the Nigerian Army and Airforce including that of the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru. We sincerely and honestly frowned at the manner and rate of these plane crashes. We therefore call for the immediate composition of an independent investigative panel to ascertain the remote cause(s) of this plane crash and the Report must be made public.” Elliot said.
