Ekiti Youths Demand 40% Appointments from Oyebanji

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Ekiti State Chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), yesterday demanded that the incoming administration of Hon. Biodun Oyebanji, should reserve 40 per cent of its political appointments for the youths.

The youth body promised to coopt its national body to partner critical stakeholders like the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to end the lingering crisis between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the federal government.

The newly elected Chairman of the NYCN, Ekiti State, Mr. Oluwasegun Bankole, said this in Ado Ekiti, yesterday during his inaugural press briefing. 

At the election supervised by security agencies, Ekiti State Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, Bankole polled a total of 109 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr. Segun Famuyibo, who garnered 19.

Bankole said: “The NYCN is ready to key into Biodun Oyebanji’s policy thrust, because we have studied it and found that he makes youth empowerment a priority on his list.

“But regarding youth involvement in governance, we are not expecting anything less than 40 per cent of political appointments from his administration as part of the ways to empower and accord us recognition in government.”

He added: “We are going to call the attentions of our stakeholders to the reason why this strike should end now.

“Reports we are getting showed that many of our female students have been impregnated, while the male counterparts are into criminalities, because they were not occupied and productive in the six months duration of this industrial action.” 

The chairman assured that he has come on board to rebrand Ekiti youth and change the narratives through effective collaboration with local and international organisations for the betterment of Ekiti youth.

The NANS National President, Mr. Sunday Asefon, who doubles as the Publicity Secretary of the NYCN in the immediate past administration, warned against factionalisation of the body, saying this would not be in the interest of the youth.

Asefon applauded Governor Kayode Fayemi for presenting a parcel of land and the Certificate of Occupancy (Cof O) to NYCN to build a state secretariat for the youth body.