The Coalition of Southern and Middle Belt Youth Leaders Assembly, the umbrella body of all the youth groups in the South East, South-South, South West, and Middle Belt regions has flayed the Federal Government over what it described as “financial recklessness”.
This was over the donation of $1 million dollars by the federal government to Afghanistan a Muslim country, at a time the Nigerian economy is in financial comatose.
This was contained in a press release signed by Hon. Goodluck Egwu Ibem, Terrence Kuanum, Shittu Waheed, and Tito Zokumor for the body.
They regretted that the donation was coming when Nigeria “can barely execute any single project or pay mere salaries and pensions without borrowing to do so”,
According to the youths, this is gross insensitivity and financial recklessness on the part of the Federal Government to make such donations at a time like this. We are totally disappointed, to say the least.
“It is common knowledge that Nigeria is currently on financial oxygen to survive and we cannot be pretending about it because the information is already in public domain.
“The Federal Government openly told Nigerians that there is no money in our purse to fulfill the financial promises it made to Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU. We now ask the FG, where did the money donated to Afghanistan emanate from?
“The donation as we were told by the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic cooperation, OIC Hissein Ibrahim Taha, was for easing the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and to help in catering for the needs of millions of Afghan people including women and children.
“We then ask the federal government how much has it donated to the Nigerian Internally Displaced Persons in Benue State. The answer is none.
“We call on the National Assembly to immediately make a law that will bring on board eminent financial advisors and experts that will scrutinize and approve every financial donation or commitment of the federal government to other nations to avoid a situation where the commonwealth of our country will be donated to other nations on the altar of religious affiliation or friendship.”
Credit: PUNCH