The Progressive Yoruba Youths Congress (PYYC) has revealed that an ex-presidential candidate pays the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) a whopping N100m monthly to blackmail President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Yoruba youths made this known at a press conference by its President Kola Salau on Sunday to address attempt by some groups to discredit the efforts of the Fderal Government in fighting insecurity in the country.
According to PYYC, those that sponsored widespread killings and banditry in the wake of the 2019 general elections have returned to the act.
The southwest youth further disclosed that two other groups from the south have also been compromised, taking home N25m monthly to join NEF in the campaign of calumny against the president.
PYYF, however, challenged NEF’s chairman, Prof Ango Abdullahi to swear by the Koran that indeed he is not on the payroll of the politician and acting as agents of distraction and destabilization.
While condemning the action of these groups, the Progressive youths, however, expressed total support for President Buhari-led administration.
Read full statement below:
The Progressive Yoruba Youths, an association of progressive youths in South West Nigeria wishes to lend its voice to the raging debate on the state of insecurity in the country, as well as the attempt by some group of organizations whose contributions to the socio-economic upliftment of Nigeria has been defective.
We wish to state that it is indeed an irony that a group of questionable individuals parading themselves as Northern Elders, the Middle Belt Forum, Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and the Association of South-East Town Unions have elected to be against the interest of Nigeria by making unguarded statements with regards to the stance of President Muhammadu Buhari on the performance of Service Chiefs in the country.
It must be stated that President Muhammadu Buhari as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has the prerogative to hire and fire Service Chiefs and as such this undeniable fact must be respected by all and sundry in the country including those groups that have taken up newspaper spaces to paint Mr. President as insensitive.
This is indeed an anomaly because it is evident that the turning point in the war against Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria has been widely linked to the unalloyed commitment displayed by President Muhammadu Buhari as evident in the quality of Service Chiefs in 2015, and with the mandate to hit the ground running.
The Progressive Yoruba Youths is therefore alarmed that such a position has been taken by the same group of persons that sponsored widespread killings and banditry in the wake of the 2019 general elections.
We state in unequivocal terms that these same individuals not resting on their oars are behind the groups that have in recent times been attempting to discredit President Muhammadu Buhari for standing with the Service Chiefs who by and large have been giving their best in the war against terrorism and other acts of criminality in the country.
It is indeed sad that organizations such as the Afenifere and the Ohaneze Ndigbo would condescend low to the whims and caprices of the same set of politicians that are sponsors of criminality in Nigeria.
As sad as this sound, it is indeed what it is and one wonder the amount of monies that would have exchanged hands in their futile desire to discredit the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari at all cost.
This is also on the heels of the fact that there are also those hiding under curious nomenclatures such former presidential candidate to discredit the government, by all means, necessary and destabilizing the country at the same time.
The Progressive Yoruba Youths wishes to state that the role of Afenifere is indeed despicable and an insult to the Oduduwa race, which stands for truth, justice and fairness at all times. This much Afenifere must come to terms with and retrace its steps and save us from further disrepute.
We also wish to state that we are aware that a top politician and businessman pays the Northern Elders Forum the sum of N50,000,000.00 monthly to run a campaign of calumny against President Muhammadu Buhari in fulfillment of their desire to cause a distraction and pitch the citizenry against the president.
This same politician and businessman pay other groups in the South-South and South-East of Nigeria the sum of N25, 000,000.000 every month to run the same campaign of calumny against the president in the attempt to give their falsehood some form of credibility and national spread.
This is unacceptable and an indication that these groups that have been carrying out the whim and caprices of disgruntled politicians at the detriment of national interest. These groups have been blinded by filthy lucre that they have elected to turn the truth on its head.
The Progressive Yoruba Youths herby challenge these groups to swear by the Koran and the Bible that indeed they are not acting as agents of distraction and destabilization. They should also be bold to tell Nigerians that monies have indeed not also exchanged hands in return for using their platforms to discredit President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Progressive Yoruba Youths sees the actions of these groups as against the unity and socio-economic development of Nigeria. As such, they must desist from their shameful acts. Nigerians must also do well to view with a pinch of salt statements emanating from these groups as they are self-serving and meant to suit the interest of their paymasters.
The Progressive Yoruba Youths wishes to use this medium to extend its support to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for its various efforts in tackling the different politically motivated security challenges in the country.
We consequently wish to use this medium to advise these groups to channel the resources to useful endeavors that would be of utmost benefit to the teeming youths in the country. This, in our opinion, would be more useful than spreading falsehoods in the country all in their distasteful desires to bring the government down at all cost.
The Progressive Yoruba Youths disassociates itself from these groups and wishes to remind them that they do not speak on behalf of the people but behalf of their pockets.
A word is indeed enough for the wise as Nigerians can easily see through their gimmick.
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