… Backs Gen. Marwa’s Call To Make Drug Testing Institutional Policy In Universities

An umbrella body of hundreds of youths’ and students’ organisations within and outside Nigeria projecting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for President in 2023, the Coalition for A Better Nigeria has warned political parties to resist the temptation of presenting Northern presidential candidates in 2023 or risk losing at the polls.

This is even as the coalition has thrown its weight behind former Lagos State military administrator and current Executive Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) on his call for institutionalisating drug testing in all tertiary institutions in the country.

The National Coordinator of the association founded in 2009, in FESTAC Town, Lagos, Comrade AWA Bamiji, made these known in a statement on Thursday, just as the group rejoiced with Ooni of Ife, felicitated with Abayomi Finnish at 80, Kemi Nelson at 66, Niyi Adebayo at 64, Kayode Fayemi at 57, while condemning Nigerian Censor Board, and laments over total darkness in Ibadan after Oyo State government and Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) clashed.

The statement reads:

We thank all patriotic Nigerians for reasoning along with us throughout our intensive campaign and interesting period of our popular advocacy, “2023 is Southern Nigeria’s Turn, Non Negotiable”, which has been championed by various Nogerian Youth Organisations under this Umbrella Platform, most especially, Agbarijo Egbe Odo Yoruba, Grand Council of Yoruba Youths, but it’s not yet Uhuru because a number of Enemies of the State are seroiysly making underground moves to overrule it but the largest and most active segment of Population, over 211 million Nigerian Youths are fully prepared for them this time around, with their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVC) because the polling booth is the only place where truth always prevails during election.

We unanimously endorse a call by the Mentor of Nigerian Youths’ Odu’a National Awardee, Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), the Executive Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), for making drug test an institutional policy by the Universities and other Tertiary Institutions and we will continue working with the NDLEA as its Ambassadors all over Nigeria to make this noble dream a reality, not only in the Tertiary Institutions, but in all Public and Private places of work.

No drug Test, No Employment; No Drug Test, No Political Office’s election or appointment; No Drug Test, No Wedding Ceremony, will henceforth be our Group’s campaign Matra.

This is to felicitate with Arole Odu’a, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, Ooni of Ife, on his grand preparation for the 4 – day 2022 celebration of annual global festival, Aje Heritage and Economic Summit which will be declared open on Friday 25th February, 2022 and rounded up following Monday, Ojo Aje, in Ile – Ife. May God Almighty and Yoruba Ancestors reward Yorubaland with greater riches and wealth after this celebration.

We join millions of families, friends and Associates of the following Tested and Trusted Progressives, Visionary Leaders, Democrats, Grassroot Mobilisers, Political Strategists starting from a reputable member of the Governor’s Advisory Council, Lagos State, Dr Abayomi Finnih @ 80; the Southwest Zonal Women Leader of All Progressives’ Congress (APC), Dr (Mrs) Kemi Nelson @ 66; former Governor of Ekiti State and the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo, CON, @ 66 and the last but not the least, “ko duro soke”, JKF (Just Keep Faith) and Ogo Awon Gominan Ti Orile Ede Apapo Nijiria, Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi @ 57.

The history of Coalition for A Better Nigeria won’t be complete without mentioning the unique and noble roles the Progressive Leaders, who shared the same vision with the Nigerian Youths, across the States of Federation played in making it a reality.

Its birth was so tough and at a point, Oranmiyan Worldwide, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as a Master Strategist, had to suggest to me at a meeting, “Awa, we need Kayode to join forces with us in this battle”, I lost my memory instantly on the suggested name while saying in my mind, “who is this Kayode, my Junior, Coallegue or Senior in the Civil Societies, our Symbol of democratic struggles was referring to.

I kept calm, in the course of our meeting’s proceedings, “Ifa to Yemi” alias Radio Kudirat, the June 12 Radio named after the assassinated wife of MKO Abiola, with which the Civil Societies fought the military Junta to standstill, appeared boldly to me in mind.

Remembering that we had the loyalty of our Club Manager, in person of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, intact, then, I said to myself, the June 12 Team members are here again in this epic struggles and are now complete. Apart from the visionary Elders in other Regions, we had Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Dr Kayode Fayemi among others here in the Southwest leading the battle for the emergence of the historic Nigerian Youth Network, at a time, the Action Congres of Nigeria (ACN) stolen mandates in Osun and Ekiti by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) were being fought for, in the Tribunals.

The unpturning of the earlier announced results of the Gubernatorial Elections by the Prof Maurice Iwu (alias Wuru Wuru led) Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in these 2 States through the verdicts of the Appeal Tribunals was a testimony of your joint and silent efforts, led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at various levels of struggles, including the historic inauguration of the Coalition for A Better Nigeria in 2009, which has continued to soar higher and higher since then in the Civil Societies’ Community

Since your first and monumental appearance in active and parisan Politics in 2005 as a Guest Speaker during late Afenifere Leader, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, @ 80 Birthday’s lecture held inside Oranmiyan Hall, Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja Lagos, you have been a blessing to Yorubaland.

As we join others to roll out the drums and blare the trumpets to celebrate our triumph today, under your leadership, over the forces of tyranny and oppression, we are equally celebrating ourselves and our own brighter future.

You are, in deed, rounding up as the Executive Governor of Ekiti State today, but we believe and pray for your higher service to God and the humanity.

We thank God for your life and that of your supportive Wife, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, who is also a member of the Global Community of the Civil Societies, Our dear Brother and Senior Comrade, Governor of Governors, JKF, please, Just Keep Faith!

The House of Representatives has now called on Federal Government to declare National emergency over ritual killings and condemned the evil contributions of majority of the home videos to the crime without thinking that just like Big Brothers’ Nigeria, their Producers will continue to promote immorality by looking for a sure way to shut up their profits and it’s the responsibility of the Nigerian Censor Board to cross check each film or proposed entertainment show before it’s released to the Public or staged.

If we don’t query the total negligence of duty for decades by this supposed sensitive Agency of the Federal Government and sanction its erring members appropriately, the crime and immorality will continue to loom large in our Society.

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company said it had earlier disconnected electricity supply to the Oyo State Secretariat because of the accumulated debts of N450 million for the past 3 years before Oyo State Government, illegally retaliated by sealing the IBDEC Offices in Ring Road, Iwo Road/Ojoo Road, and Monatan, to cripple its activities for owing N400 million tax for the past 2 years.

While we don’t want to investigate the details, we will like to speak from the angle of innocent electorate who are now groaning over total darkness in Ibadan and describe it an insult and miscalculated attempt to cripple the economy of the largest City in West Africa and the 2nd largest in Africa, after Egypt, at the expense of its residents that voted the Government into power in 2019, the same year, it started owing the IBDEC, without making geniune efforts to reconcile their individual debts.

From the above details, it means, Oyo State Government is at fault, for having a balance of N50 million to pay the IBEDC, being set up by the Federal Government to supply electricity to its Citizenry.

We therefore call on Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Oluseyi Makinde, to cool down his temper, once more, and start putting a round peg in a round hole henceforth as next Gubernatorial election draws near. “A stitch in time saves nine”.

The result of illegal dissolution of the Oyo State elected ALGON members as being declared by the supreme Court is the ongoing talks between the Government and dissolved Local Governments’ Chairmen and Councillors to pay the latter N7.056 Billion as compensation for their lost salaries and allowances after denying their service for the past years.

Surprisingly, this same Authoritarian Governor has suddenly turned himself to Youth Advocate saying “2023: Don’t vote for any Candidate beyond 70”.

We may therefore need to tell him to go and read the achievements of American President, Joe Biden, 80 years of age.