A fresh crisis has hit the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, as the apex organ of the body, on Monday, suspended its National President, Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, over an alleged N369 million that was received from political parties and candidates during the 2023 general elections.
The National Executive Council, NEC, the organisation that addressed a world press conference in Abuja, equally announced the suspension of the Deputy President, Comrade Innocent Nduanya, and the Secretary-General, Comrade Suleiman Abubakar Abutu.
In an eight-point allegation, the NYCN NEC raised in a statement it made available to newsmen that the suspended officials were accused of engaging in “numerous self-serving activities in the name of the Council.”
According to the NYCN NEC, “Below are the highlights of some of the many ill activities of the above-named:
“Illegal review of the 2012 Constitution of the National Youth Council of Nigeria: Without recourse to the National Management Committee and without obtaining the approvals of the National Congress and the Board of Trustees. The now-suspended president illegally initiated and completed a supposed review of the Constitution of the National Youth Council of Nigeria in flagrant disobedience to the provisions of the Constitution.
“Forgery: The now suspended president, in concert with the above-named officers of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, in their bid to perfect their illegal amendment of the Constitution and in a very shameful manner, went as far as forging the signatures of certain persons in the process of filing the illegal Constitution they formulated with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
“The now suspended President and officials’ activities in this regard have grossly dented the image of the Council and have since become a subject matter of investigation by the X-Squad section, Force Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) (Force Headquarters, Abuja).
“Unilateral and self-aggrandizing decisions: The now suspended President on numerous occasions unilaterally picked and sent certain members of the NEC to represent the Council in national and international programmes without consulting or obtaining the approvals of the NEC and its members from such states, thereby undermining the decision-making process of the NEC and the Council.
“Secret initiation and exchange of correspondences with governments and government agencies: Without notifying the Vice-Presidents of the respective states and seeking the approval of the NEC, the now suspended president, while on a frolic, initiated and exchanged correspondences in the name of the council with state governments and government agencies without duly informing and seeking the consent of the Vice Presidents concerned.
“Unilateral appointments and extension of tenures of officials: The now suspended President took it upon himself to make diaspora appointments, appoint, and extend the tenures of certain state chairmen without consulting the NEC or the National Management Committee and disregarding the constitution of the Council and the democratic process of such appointments.
“While doing so, the now suspended President nurtured or fueled the emergence of factions at various state levels of the Council.
“Unauthorised interference: The now suspended president has on numerous occasions intruded/interfered unlawfully into the affairs of other members of the NEC and some state chapters of the Council without the approval of the Vice Presidents of the Zones and the NEC, which has caused so much disarray and disruption within the Council.
“Unauthorised expenditure and flagrant disobedience of decisions of the National Executive Council (NEC): The now suspended President unilaterally utilised Council funds without seeking and obtaining the necessary approvals from the NEC and disregarded decisions of the NEC, thereby violating the provisions of the Constitution of the Council and making a mockery of his fellow NEC members and his responsibility/accountability to the Council.
“Activities during the 2023 General Elections: The now suspended President, while seeking self-aggrandisement and without NEC approval, collected about N369,000,000.00 (three hundred and sixty-nine million naira) from major political parties and their candidates in the name of the NEC of the Council during the 2023 General Elections.
“The above-listed are just some of the ills of the now-suspended President and officials of the Council. It is no gainsaying that the youths represent the future of every nation, and as a nation that is working tirelessly to curb and eliminate various acts that retard its progress, the above-listed activities engaged by revered members of a body like the NYCN are a disappointment not only to the youths who still nurse very strong hopes for this country but to the country generally.
“On this note, to our fellow young Nigerians, we apologise for this sad development and the wasted years; we feel and understand your plights.
“Due to the severity of the actions of the now suspended officials and President of the Council, especially as it relates to the forgery of public documents and deceit of a public institution (the Corporate Affairs Commission) in the process, we have swiftly alerted the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), who are well on top of the matter and have made some very disturbing revelations on the activities of the now suspended President and officials of the Council.
“The NPF has also promised to fish out every other person(s) involved in this treachery and prosecute them.”
Meanwhile, in the interim, the body appointed Mr. Akoshile Ademola as the Acting President of the NYCN to pilot the affairs of the Council for the next six months, pending the conduct of its Congress.
Those who signed the statement were: Comrade Dotun Omoleye (National Public Relations Officer), Comrade Bashir Garba (National Legal Adviser), Comrade Smart Uwakwe (National Vice President, South East), Comrade Bishop Kanatapwa (National Vice President, North East), Comrade Zaka Nehemiah (National Programme Officer).
Others are; Comrade Izunna Agwuncha (National Organizing Secretary, South East), Comrade Ibrahim Inuwa Dangata (National Organizing Secretary, North East), Comrade Aminu Ubale Funtua (National Organizing Secretary, North West), Comrade Blessing Okwe (National Organizing Secretary, North Central) and Comrade Damola Olugbode (National Organizing Secretary, South West). (VanguardNews)
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