His Excellency, Prof. Ben Ayade,
Governor, Cross River State
Nigeria.
Sir,
PETITION ON THE ILLEGAL CONDUCT OF 2020 NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL OF NIGERIA, CROSS RIVER STATE ELECTIONS
The National Youth Council of Nigeria as an apex body of all youth’s organization in Nigeria. It is a legitimate organization in the country which is administered through a well thought-out constitution, written and adopted by a well constituted congress as the council’s sole working document.
It is evident that the Cross River State Chapter of the council, tenure of office elapsed since March 2020, and a Congress Planning Committee (CPC) setup with terms of reference derived from the electoral articles of the NYCN constitution as Amended.
It is on this premise, I purchased my nomination form, processed it and proceed for screening on the 18th of June, 2020 which I was denied by the then Congress Planning Committee (CPC) for reasons best known to them.
Your Excellency, considering the backdrop of zoning which is considered to be a gentle man’s agreement for which you have benefited as a Governor from the Northern Senatorial district of the state with Five (5) Local Government, Central Six (6) and the South Seven (7) Local Government, if the battle were for the strong, Your Excellency, you know the rest.
Your Excellency, having religiously followed Youth Council activities as a former coordinator for Yakurr the land of my birth from 2010- 2012, I am obliged to bring to bear the discrepancies observed during this transition period, Your Excellency, the points to note are:
1. Zoning: For Central, Comr. Livinus Omono from Obubra held sway as Chairman 1995- 2007 impeached as Chairman, Dr Oben Bassey from Ikom took over as caretaker Chairman from 2008 through 2009 and handed over to Comr. Christopher Lekan, From Boki. Having zoned the position of the Chairman analysis, Old Obubra through a document submitted to the former Chairman Prince Ndiyo Ndiyo in Ikom, It is worthy of note that since the first Chairman came from Obubra (Comr. Livinus Omono) Abi/Yakurr should be given an opportunity for the job.
2. Irregular Precedence in National Youth Council of Nigeria Cross River State Chapter Electoral Process.
Your Excellency, it will interest you to note that the council that has survived in Cross River State from the 70’s with the likes of Comr. Ekpo Bassey, Edem Nsa, Livinus Omono, Dr. Oben Bassey, Christopher Lekan, Ben Okorie, Prince Ndiyo Ndiyo and today a Congress Planning Committee (CPC) headed by Comr. Attah Etim Attah could not hold election without irregularities ranging from:
i. Nomination of the Congress Planning Committee (CPC) Formation: Disregarding the constitutional provision for the nomination of the CPC. See Article 12.2 (VII).
ii. Neglecting the Advice of the Advisory Council in the formation of the CPC see Article 11.3 (C) IV, Article 10.3 sub 6 I & II, See Article II sub Sec 11.3- C.
See detail attached herein a copy of the letter of the Advisory Council.
iii. Refusal to Publicize the Delegate list seven (7) days before the election.
iv. Retrospectively changing date of election from 25th to 19th of July on the same month without congress approval.
v. Rescheduling election after a valid congress has moved a motion dissolving the incapacitated CPC on the floor of the congress that was convened by the failed CPC.
Your Excellency, it will interest you to note that 24 hours later, after dissolution of the former CPC, election result was pasted on platforms across the state by a kangaroo group and approved by the Director of Youth who actually started leave on the 1st Of July but signed an approved letter on 2nd of the same month.
An election I was not allowed to partake was the same election I was given a score to perfect the hatchet job which to a large extent was irregular and inconsistent. If this scam is allowed to stand the council will become history.
Your Excellency, it will also interest you to note that the formation of the dissolved CPC was inconsistent adding a member of the CPC from the Voluntary Youth Organizations (VYOs) in the office of the Commissioner of Police instead of congress, is misplaced. Your Excellency, as digital as Cross River State is, subscribing to this irregularities is misplaced however we are looking at a virile Youth Council to be put in place to support your onslaught on insecurity and other social vices as it is evident in Yakurr and our brothers in Onyedama peace treaty.
Your Excellency, with the spirit of brotherhood, fairness, equity, the council still have youths with character who had stood their grounds for the right thing to be done. Thumbs up for the Advisory Council of Cross River Sate headed by Comr. Odu John Odu and the entire stake holders.
Prayers:
1. Your Excellency, we pray that you use your fatherly office to advice the Commissioner of Youth and Skill Acquisition to call the State Advisory Council headed by Comr. Odu John Odu for a meeting to chat a way forward.
2. Please direct the Ministry of Youth and skill Acquisition to allow the current CPC formed at the Congress ground after the failure by the former CPC to conduct a free, fair and credible election that will usher in a well nationally recognised state execution council of NYCN. This will surely avert crisis.
3. Advise the purported and kangaroo executive to seize to operate or parade itself until a Youth election is properly conducted.
Long Live National Youth Council of Nigeria
Long Live Cross River State
Yours in Youth Development
Ofem, Ofem Okoi
08035168832
CC:
Commissioner for Youth/Skill Acquisition
Chief of Staff to the Governor
State Security Adviser
Commissioner of Police CRS Command
Directorate of State Security CRS Command
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corpse CRS Command
National President NYCN
National Legal Adviser CRS Representatives
Chairman/Members of Advisory Council NYCN Cross River State
Congress Planning Committee (CPC)
