The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has called on the Nigerian youths to be careful of some powerful politicians allegedly sponsoring “fake security reports, divisive narratives, fake news and hate speech” to discredit the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari led administration.
The council, however, asked the youths to act as a common fortress for the country against internal and external attacks.
Addressing a gathering of the youths during a walk in commemoration of this year’s International Youth Day, President of the council, Comrade Solomon Adodo, urged Nigerians to support security agencies, even when there is need for critical engagement.
Adodo said: “The displaced powerful politicians are bent on dividing the country by sponsoring fake security reports, divisive narratives, fake news and hate speech. The Nigerian youths must be vigilant about this and refuse to yield to their antics.
“That we support President Muhammadu Buhari, not because we are stooges to his Government, or that his government is faultless. But because we discovered that his Government is more concerned about the generation next. And we support him because that is the right and righteous thing to do to develop and unify our country.
“That Mr. President’s total war against corruption has unsettled some political criminals and they are fighting to blackmail the President and ridicule his Government. Nigerian youths are duty bound to stand with a President who is recovering our looted future.
“That the Security Agencies, particularly, the Department of State Security Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police and the Military are doing exceedingly well, in spite of being overstretched. If it were not for their vigilance, the story would have been more terrible.
That security is a business beyond the established Security Agencies. All hands, especially those of the youths should be on the deck to tackle security challenges by refusing to join criminals troubling the security of the country, partnering with Security Agencies and providing credible security information.
“That thuggery is an aspect of Security problem attractive to most youths and often overlooked as part of politics. But it is not only criminal but also a brand of terrorism. The youths must desist from it.
“That there are many programmes in the agricultural, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Science and Technology and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which we are providing information and training about. We urge the Nigerian youths to embrace them.
“That it is obvious that some people, some of them displaced powerful politicians are bent on dividing the country by sponsoring fake security reports, divisive narratives, fake news and hate speech. The Nigerian youths must be vigilant about this and refuse to yield to their antics.
“That the task of uniting our country is in our hands, and we must recognize divisive narratives (most of which are outrightly concocted), fake news, hate speech as the greatest dangers to our common survival. We must fight these vices.”
