VP Osinbajo Heads Committee To Engage Nigerian Youths, Others On National Issues.

The National Economic Council, NEC, has set up a committee to engage the youths in Nigeria, civil society organizations, religious and traditional leaders on employment, social safety net programmes and national unity, among other issues of national concern.

The decision to set up the committee was reached at Monday’s emergency meeting of the NEC, presided over by Nigeria’s vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

The emergency NEC meeting, which lasted for more than four hours, reached a resolution that the deeper reasons behind the ENDSARS protests and its fallouts should be addressed by both the federal and state governments.

The committee will have governors of Sokoto, Borno, Niger, Ondo, Ebonyi and Delta states, representing the six geo-political zones in Nigeria, as members.

The Committee, which is to commence work immediately, will develop a comprehensive framework under the auspices of the NEC that would coordinate joint actions and steps to be taken by both the Federal and State Governments to examine the fundamental issues underlining the protests and arrive at effective solutions, including how to enhance Nigeria’s national security

While supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to a complete overhaul of the nation’s security services, NEC also commended the Nigerian Police and Security agencies for their handling of the disturbances in some States of the Federation while also noting its unequivocal belief that most members of the Nigerian security personnel are law-abiding and are capable of restoring law and order in the country.

Commiserates with victims

In the nine-point communiqué on the emergency meeting released by the Office of the Vice President, the Council “commiserated and expressed sincere condolences to all those who have been injured, suffered the death of a loved one or lost property since the hijacking of the EndSARS demonstrations by criminals and hoodlums across the country.

“Council affirmed an unequivocal belief and assurance that most members of the nation’s security personnel are law-abiding and are capable of restoring law and order in the country.”

Covid-19 palliatives

Other issues which the NEC also looked at were reports on warehouses where Covid-19 palliatives where kept and the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

“NEC enjoined the CACOVID leadership to come out with an independent statement on the status of the distribution of palliatives donated to States which should clearly explain the circumstances behind the delay in the distribution of food items domiciled in warehouses across the country.

“Council reviewed the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other secessionist groups, stressing that these subterranean and violent tendencies must be quickly addressed given that they have continually hijacked demonstrations and caused mayhem and lawlessness across parts of the country.”

Underlying issues

The NEC emergency meeting also “established that economic issues underlie what the country has gone through in the last few weeks,” declaring that “good governance and improved service delivery remain the fundamental panacea to social tensions in the country, and social welfare must be given greater priority in the first instance.

“Council decried the irresponsible use of social media in fueling misinformation and increasing social tensions.

“Council agreed to embark on an objective framing of a new security and stability architecture for the country supported by the development of a framework of engagement with the youth, civil society and religious leaders; a framework for national unity; a framework to engage with security agencies that will devolve more control to State governors who are the chief security officers of their states; a framework for federal support to provide compensation for those who have incurred losses in the last few weeks and a framework for social security to deal with the problem of unemployment and poverty in the country.”

The meeting, which was virtual, was attended by Governors, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Inspector-General of the Police, representatives from the Military, the Directorate of State Security, and the National Human Rights Commission.