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Olawande Spearheads NYSC – UNODC cooperation to tackle drug abuse among youths

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Joel Ajayi


The Honourable Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande has initiated a partnership talk between the United Nation’s office on drug and crime(UNODC) and the National Youth Service  Corps (NYSC) in the effort to  surmount the problem of drug abuse among youths.

In a meeting which was held at the NYSC headquarters in maitama, Abuja at the instance of the Minister as a follow up to an earlier discussion between him and the country representative of UNODC, Mr Oliver stolp, Olawande reiterated the need to address the menace of drug abuse and crime which is mostly perpetrated by young people. 

The minister who was received by the Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Yushau Dogara Ahmed expressed optimism that the collaboration will yield fruitful results.   

He said, “*I am hopeful that the proposed partnership will  explore the prospect of deploying corp members as ready volunteers in the battle to rid Nigerian youth of drugs and substance abuse.*”

In his contribution, the UNODC country representative, Mr Oliver stolp explained that his office has some ongoing projects such as unplugged,  Line Up Live Up  and Drug Education for school children which are aimed at reducing the prevalence of drug abuse in Nigeria. He therefore called  on the NYSC management to accept  the request for partnership with the UNODC.
In his remarks, the Director General of NYSC, Brigadier General Ahmed gave the assurance that the NYSC, which has an existing partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), would be willing to explore every partnership option to ensure that the menace of drug abuse is curbed among the youth.
The two organisations  agreed to set up a joint team to work out the details of the partnership.

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Protest allegation: Obi’s threat to sue Onanuga, deceitful – TDF

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Joel Ajayi

The Democratic Front has dismissed the threat of legal action by Peter Obi, former Labour Party Presidential Candidate against Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Communication and Strategy, as laughable, ludicrous, and irrational.

In a statement signed by its Chairman Danjuma Muhammad and Secretary Wale Adedayo, the group described the threat of a N5bn law suit as a futile expedition that will amount to nothing.

“If the allegation by Mr. Onanuga that Peter Obi’s supporters were the organizers of the proposed protest was strange to Obi, he should be informed that majority of Nigerians share the view of the Presidential aide on the unruly and unscrupulous supporters of the Labour Party candidate otherwise known known as “Obidients”.

“Keen watchers of political events and developments in Nigeria are aware of the highly inflamed sentimental and volatile propagandist campaigns ran by the “Obidients” during the electioneering campaigns of the last presidential election.

“Their enormous capacity for abusive words and hate speeches to amplify ethnic, regional, and religious divisions in the country was both unbelievable and unprecedented.

“This coupled with their attempt to intimidate and demonize the Nigerian Judiciary through the infamous “All eyes on you” advertorials, and the irresponsible call for military take-over because their principal lost the Presidential election both at the polls and the courts, all point to the fact that the “Obidients” are a group of politically unintelligent mob that harbour hatred and disregard for the ethics of social democracy and the rule of law.

“We recall how Peter Obi himself was bursted in a pre-election viral telephone conversation with Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church during which he described the election as a “war” between two religious faiths.

It is a statement of fact that the “Obidients” have assertively and consistently used all available social media platforms to demarket the nation, and have continually called for mass protests to abruptly end the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, since Obi’s defeat. This is common knowledge to most Nigerian users of social media.

“We expect Obi to know that Mr Bayo Onanuga will not, as a reputable public servant, a seasoned journalist anda spokesman of the President, flippantly point accusing fingers to the “Obidients” camp on the planned protest to disrupt the nation’s peace, without a solid and verifiable hint from security and intelligence bodies.

“It is for this reason that we believe Mr. Onanuga acted aptly based on the strength of solid information.

“So it is therefore pretentious, deceitful, and dissimulating for Mr. Peter Obi to feign ignorance of the erratic and irresponsible behaviour of his supporters. His response to the Presidential aide ought to have been an open dissociation of his person from the planned protest with facts.

“He has failed to do so and instead, he has resorted to the pedestrian style of threat of a lawsuit against Mr. Onanuga, which is obviously aimed at concealing the truth and misleading the public,” the group added.

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