AYAGL RECAN calls on young people to stop nationwide protests

The Arewa Youths Assembly for Good Leadership (AYAGL), an umbrella organization of young people from the 19 northern states, and the Rehoboth Community Advancement Initiative (RECAN), have urged Nigerian youths to resist the temptation to participate in the planned nationwide protest.

The group called on the youth in the North to do everything possible to protect their country and nation from any form of violence and invasion.

In a statement signed yesterday by AYAGL spokesperson, Ambassador Abdul Danbature, well-meaning Nigerians were called upon to consider other forms of protest besides street protests so as not to play into the hands of the country’s enemies.

“We have therefore come to the conclusion that we should explore other avenues to express our displeasure. We have done this by writing a detailed position paper to the President. This paper is receiving the appropriate attention of the government at this moment and we are officially and collectively withdrawing from the National Street protest at this point.”

Advertisement

“As you all know, we have recently been at the forefront of mobilising for the upcoming national protest with the slogan ‘End Bad Governance in Nigeria’ because we are convinced that there are legitimate reasons for the protest ranging from insecurity to the tough economic situation in the country due to some of the economic policies of this administration.”

The group said that in the initial mobilization for the protest, it also consulted its stakeholders in Northern Nigeria: the royal fathers, the business owners and some political and social actors across Nigeria. All these consultations enriched and deepened our knowledge of the various government policies and programs and made us reconsider our decision not to participate and to call on others to avoid the protest.

“We also understood that while we sincerely want to express our dissatisfaction with the current economic situation in our country, there are other more effective ways to convey the same message. We must not forget that there are various enemies of our country inside and outside Nigeria who are waiting for any opportunity to do evil in Nigeria,” the youth group stressed.

RECAN, for its part, through its Executive Director, Dcn Nathaniel Cinwon Abaniwo, urged the youth to choose the path of peace, understanding and mutual progress for a better Nigeria. We must remember that together we can build a more harmonious and prosperous Nigeria as we all desire.