Middle Belt Forum rejects proposed youth confab, offers alternative

The Middle Belt Forum (MBF), has rejected the upcoming 30-days National Youth Conference proposed by President Bola Tinubu in his Independence Day speech.

The MBF described the planned confab as another political jamboree only meant to win the support of the youth for the president’s political ambition.

President of the MBF, Dr Pogu Bitrus who dismissed the youth confab during an interaction with journalist on Saturday, said the confab will amount to nothing just as outcomes of previous conferences.

According to him, issues about the Nigerian youth have been well thrashed in previous confabs which the government can look at if it is serious about addressing them.

“It will amount to nothing. We have had national conferences in the past. The last one was the 2014 confab which gave us a blueprint on the way forward on how to achieve a better Nigeria for all Nigerians,” the MBF president opined.

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“Things have been addressed across board, including even things that have to do with the youths.

“Rather than creating another bureaucracy for political reasons, I think the government needs to look at the 2014 confab report as it affects our youths and other areas to ensure that constitutional amendment gets to a level where a lot of the problems that Nigerians are facing can be addressed. But as far as I am concerned, the proposed 30 days youth conference is a political jamboree.

“Mr President is just trying to appeal to the youths for political support otherwise things pertaining to the youths have been spelt out.

“Let those things be implemented so that we can have a better Nigeria where our youths can be tutored to take over from the older generation, so that there will be some mentoring along the line.

“But to just go and have a conference with the youths, to me, is a political gimmick to gain support and have a support base from the youths for the government rather than improving governance in Nigeria@.

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