The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), has on Thursday debunked the purported suspension of its President, Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo.

This was made known to the media during a world press conference, held at the National Secretariat of the NYCN, by the members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of NYCN.

In a press statement signed and read by the National Deputy Secretary General of NYCN, Comrade Rikki Nwajiofor, Amb. Sukubo remains the president of the National Youth Council.

“Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo remains the only President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), any other self-acclaimed President, whether in acting capacity or not, is a desperate impostor and should be treated as such and disregarded”.

Rikki Nwajiofor further stated that the NEC of NYCN has not suspended the NYCN Deputy President – Amb. Innocent Nduanya; Secretary General – Abubakar Suleiman Esq; and the National Treasurer – Comrade Nnamdi Ezemagu. According to him, “the above mentioned members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of NYCN are still bonafide members of the NEC”.

The press text also debunked the alleged three hundred and sixty nine million naira (#369,000,000) said to have been given to NYCN during the last general elections, by political parties. According to Nwajiofor, “there was no such amount of #369,000,000 (three hundred and sixty nine million naira) given to the President of NYCN for the National Youth Council of Nigeria, during the last general elections”.

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The NYCN, while commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his efforts towards tackling the insecurities that have bedevilled the nation, has charged him to put in more efforts in ensuring that the lives of Nigerians are protected. “The Apex Youth body, under the leadership of Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, is saddened by the now daily kidnappings and gunmen attacks in most parts of the country, a situation that calls for urgent action to ensure the release of all those held in kidnappers’ dens in various parts of the country”.

The complete text of the press release reads;

“THE PRESS STATEMENT BY THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC) OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL OF NIGERIA (NYCN) DELIVERED ON THIS DAY 1ST FEBRUARY, 2024, AT THE NYCN NATIONAL SECRETARIAT, FEDERAL SECRETARIAT COMPLEX ABUJA.

“Good day Great Comrades, Highly Respected members of the Press and the Patriotic Citizens of this beloved nation.

“You are highly welcome to this all-important world press conference.

“As a way of introduction, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) is the umbrella body saddled with the enormous responsibility of overseeing the activities of the voluntary Youth organizations in Nigeria, as enshrined in the national Youth Policy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As the apex Youth body in Nigeria, NYCN is the mouthpiece of the millions of Nigerian Youth. It is the responsibility of the National Youth Council of Nigeria to champion the good cause of the Nigerian Youth Constituency and to ensure that government policies and interventions, as they relate to the Nigerian Youth, are disseminated adequately and positively felt by the Youth at the grassroots. NYCN works in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, in ensuring that the Youth of this nation are not deprived of democratic dividends and welfare.

“We, the members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, have convened this all-important world press conference, as a matter of necessity, so as to clarify some issues and douse any tensions that might be taking place in some quarters, in the Youth Constituency.

“It was brought to our notice that some “aggrieved members” of the National Executive Council of NYCN, on the 29th of January 2024, in a failed prototype of coup d’etat”, sought to create a division in NYCN. This atrocity was perpetuated with the support of some aggrieved stakeholders of the National Youth Council of Nigeria.

“To set the records straight, the below information should be noted:
a.) That the National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has not suspended the President of NYCN – Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, nor has it suspended the Deputy President – Amb. Innocent Nduanya, Secretary General – Abubakar Suleiman Esq. and the Treasurer – Comrade Nnamdi Ezemagu. The above mentioned members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of NYCN are still bonafide members of the NEC.

b.) That Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo remains the only President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), any other self-acclaimed President, whether in acting capacity or not, is a desperate impostor and should be treated as such and disregarded.

“It is also very pertinent that we publicly refute and debunk some unconstitutional assertions of the aggrieved members of the NEC of NYCN, circulated in some media houses on the 29th of January 2024. Thus, we hereby state:

i.) That the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) operates under the NYCN 2018 Constitution, as amended. This Constitution is the highest authority guiding the NYCN. It is worthy of mention that this Constitution, which is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and with the Federal Ministry of Youth, served as the legal instrument that ushered in this current NEC into power. This 2018 NYCN Constitution, as amended, is billed to be reviewed and amended in the month of March 2024, owing to a motion moved and adopted during the last National Management Meeting held in Port Harcourt, in November, 2023.

ii.) That the drafting and ratification of the 2018 NYCN Constitution, as amended, followed the due process.

iii.) That the President of NYCN has the mandate to nominate any member of the NEC to represent him in any event or meeting where he is duly invited to attend, if he is unavoidably unavailable to attend such an event or meeting, in any State of the federation or at the Federal Capital Territory.

iv.) That the constitution of NYCN did not stipulate in any section that the President should inform the Vice Presidents of the zones whenever he intends to send letters to any agency or government at any level in Nigeria, as long as it is in the interest of the National Youth Council of Nigeria and the Nigerian Youth Constituency at large.

v.) That the appointment of the Diaspora Representatives of the NYCN was birthed via a valid motion moved and adopted during the last National Management Meeting held in Port Harcourt in November 2023. The intention of having Diaspora Representatives is to expand the tentacles of NYCN across the borders and to ensure that the Nigerian Youth in Diaspora interface with the Youth in Nigeria while opening doors for international opportunities and Youth empowerment. At the same National Management Meeting, Comrade Collins Idahosa was appointed as the Europe Governor of NYCN.

vi.) That the President and the Treasurer of NYCN have never been found wanting in any financial dealing of the NYCN.

vii.) That no fund was given to the NYCN during the last general elections, by any political party, as NYCN remains non-partisan and apolitical. It is highly unconstitutional for NYCN, at any level, to be partisan. Suffice it to say that, there was no such amount of #369,000,000 (three hundred and sixty nine million naira) given to the President of NYCN for the National Youth Council of Nigeria, during the last general elections.

viii.) That the only known names in the CAC Certificate of registration of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), as the members of the Board of Trustees, are: Rt. Hon. Elizabeth Ativie (the female Representative), Hon. Sunday Dare (the then Hon. Minister in charge of the Nigerian Youth Constituency) and Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo (the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria). It is worthy of note that the selection of the above-mentioned persons, as the members of the Board of Trustees, followed the stipulations of the NYCN 2018 Constitution, as amended. Any other person laying claim as a member or Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NYCN is an impostor and should be treated as such.

It is also worthy of mention that the last National Management Meeting, held in Port Harcourt in November 2023, gave the NEC the mandate to add more names, representing various Zones, as members of the Board of Trustees on or before the month of April 2024. The process is currently ongoing.

ix.) That the South East’s purported suspension of some members was discussed on the NEC WhatsApp platform, where most members concluded that it would not stand. Consequently, the matter was listed as part of the agenda for our next meeting. Therefore, NEC is not aware of the suspension of anybody in the zone, and anything done without the approval of NEC remains NULL and VOID.

As the next meeting of the NEC has been scheduled, since a week ago, to hold in Kaduna State on the 3rd of February, 2024 to resolve some lingering issues, especially in the South East, NEC charges aggrieved members to exhaust the organization’s internal conflict resolution mechanism and avoid taking laws into their hands. NEC warns that it will not fail to defend the NYCN Constitution and shall use every lawful means to achieve its set targets.

x.) That the purported suspension of the President of NYCN and the 3 other members of the NEC did not follow any constitutional provisions and as such is NULL AND VOID.

The constitution of the NYCN has stipulations on the procedures to be adhered to, if a member of the National Executive Council of NYCN is to be suspended. None of these stipulations, as enshrined in the NYCN 2018 constitution, as amended, was adhered to. Ipso facto, the purported suspension is a hoax, unconstitutional cum NULL AND VOID.

xi.) That this current NEC was sworn in on the 21st September 2021, in Calabar, with a mandate of 4 years. This is to say, the tenure of this present NEC will wrap up in September 2025 and an elective congress will be duly conducted to usher in a new leadership devoid of any faction. This current NEC is determined to end the factionalization of the apex Youth body in Nigeria – the NYCN, sponsored by some unpatriotic politicians to keep the Nigerian Youth divided and devoid of any strong voice.

“In the light of the above, NYCN NEC under the leadership of Amb. Sukubo appeals to all the government agencies, security agencies, governments at all levels, private institutions, voluntary Youth organizations, state chapters and the general public to disregard the fallacious press release made by the aggrieved members of the NEC and assertions there-in. Let there be no tensions in any quarters in the Nigerian Youth Constituency as the situation is under control; there is no cause for alarm.

“On the affairs of the nation, the members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) are concerned about the rising insecurity situation in the country, describing the situation as disturbing.

“The apex youth body, under the leadership of its President, Amb. Sukubo Sara-Igbe Sukubo, is saddened by the now daily kidnappings and gunmen attacks in most parts of the country, a situation that calls for urgent action to ensure the release of all those held in kidnappers’ dens in various parts of the country.

“NYCN observed that the alarming situation is an agonizing confirmation of the urgent need to rejig the security intelligence, command, operation, and coordination structure to stem the carnage.

“The Council, however, appreciates and commends the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his patriotism, courage, and determination in the fight against terrorism, kidnapping, and other social vices plaguing our country despite daunting challenges.

“NYCN expresses confidence in Nigeria’s security high command to tackle the insecurity problem and charges President Tinubu to do more by urgently addressing the economic challenges. The Council observed that economic woes have further compounded the insecurity problem.

“As President Tinubu continues to empower the security agencies with the needed resources, we charge him to speed up the implementation of his economic policy and review where necessary to ease Nigerians’ hardship. When people can move around easily at an affordable price, when citizens can afford basic commodities, with employment opportunities and basic infrastructure, the insecurity will reduce to the barest minimum.

“The umbrella body of Youth Organizations calls on Nigerians to be at alert and continue to support President Tinubu and our security agencies in their efforts to safeguard the nation at this very critical time.

“Thank you so much for making out time to be here. With the collaboration of all the citizens, the Nigeria of our dream shall be achieved.

“Long live the NYCN!
Long live the Nigerian Youth Constituency!!
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

“May Nigeria Succeed!”

Signed:

Comrade Rikki Nwajiofor
NCYN Deputy Secretary General.

Comrade Abdulrahman Olawale
Assistant Secretary HQ