“I Have No Preferred Candidate For NYCN Chairmanship Position In Ekiti State” – Hon. Awopetu

By Gbenga Adeleye

The attention of the Hon. Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Ekiti State, Michael Awopetu has been drawn to a malicious report concocted by some group of persons circulating on-line that the Hon. Awopetu manipulated the election of the Chairmanship position of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ekiti State.

The statement online partly read, “The leadership ot the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ekiti State expresses our grievances and  selfish interest of Hon. Awopetu in the just concluded Council election.

“The Hon. Commissioner is not in any way interested in whoever becomes the chairman of the Youth Council and has done his best to bring about peaceful meeting among relevant stakeholders by asking then to reconcile and come out with a unity list that will lead to peaceful coexistence among the youth in the State.

Hon. Awopetu directed severally and mandated that this be done, but at the end of the day two factions broke out, and the Commissioner decided that a panel of stakeholders including the BOT members of NYCN intervene to reconcile the warring factions. 

At the end of the reconciliation, they came out with a unity list which they all agreed on and sent to the Commissioner and it was okayed by him. The Commissioner has never ones interested in who becomes the chairman of NYCN.

There is no iota of truth in whatever anybody is concocting that the Commissioner is manipulating the election in favour of anybody. The committee stated that there was no known election that took place that elected between the warring factions that are laying claim to the mandate of the Chairmanship position of the NYCN in the State.

The position of Government is that the National Youth Council of Nigeria constitution and the approved policies of the Federal and State should be followed. If there are any grievances on the decision of the panel the normal procedure is to file a formal complaint to the office of the Hon. Commissioner for a review and not violence.

Hon. Awopetu has impacted positively on Youth development in the State which include adoption of a Youth Policy that will bring about rapid youth development for the first time in the history of the State.

Awopetu facilitated the approval of the Youth Policy by the State Executive Council which also include collaborating with the State Ministry of Justice to stop the harassment and illegal arrest of Ekiti youth by security agencies among others.

Hon Awopetu assured all members of the National Youth Council of Nigeria including all stakeholders that the matter will be resolved.