Well, I have read from those for and against the take over of the Plateau State Youth Council from the Executives of the Council by the Government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. Let me start by saying the planned and carefully executed action of the government is not only shameful, but characteristics of their wrong calculations and actions. Government cannot take away the voice of youths justifying that the EXCO had not been in one accord. Since when did the government came to know about the brouhaha in the EXCO?
We have a group of leaders who have worked together for close to 3 years, and just in January, they claimed the Chairman has not been carrying them along. More shamefully are the baseless accusations without a single element of proof. If it is true that the burden of prove lies with the accusers, then I shall be right to say the 8 were either party to the conspiracy to swindle the youths, or that they passed for hypocrites and slanderous idiots whose purposes were not served hence the cry. But I challenge them to either tell Plateau youths the truth of what transpired, to bring to bare the documents to prove that the Chairman was running the Council alone and stole from the Council, or we shall treat them as jokers, liars, and purposeless people who wasted the precious time given to them, and are trying to give a dog a bad name to hang it.

We as a people are very quick to forget, and truth be told, we are simply short circuit people with an unprecedented display of mediocrity. When I got the petition and checked for support documents, I could not find any. I reached out to the former Deputy Chairman, Othniel Gongden to provide evidence of their accusations and he promised to, but till date nothing. Initially, I joined in the bandwagon of accusers, until I accidentally stumbled on a 119-page document which was released by the Chairman in an attempt to clear his name. Those documents were amazing and contained unfortunate revelations of the activities of the EXCO and how they actively participated in running the administration with minutes and signings to collect largesse for the youths which we never got. I saw many ignorant celebrating whatever that has occurred, but our bitterness and inability to seek information has turned us into more ignorant and bitter people. Yet a docile Central Working Committee never met to either try the Chairman, or suspend those miscreants, allowing space for counter accusations which has brought the Council to a standstill.

The Chairman of the Youth Council had done well given his tract records of achievements and how he managed to keep the youths in harmony for three years. In facts, in accordance with the narration of some veterans and people in government, there is no regime or administration that has done so well. I watched a video on You Tube where someone who does not like the Chairman shower praises on him. Yes, the image of the Council was boosted and the youths became proud of the system, which is why we have many more who have indicated interest in contesting. But the contestants themselves have also joined the bandwagon of those who are calling the Chairman all sorts of names. They are apparently not aware of the struggles and sleepless nights to achieve all these, yet want us to trust them with leadership.

But is the Chairman without faults? No. what on earth made the courageous Chairman chickened out to handover the Council to the Ministry? How on earth did he do that? Or is it because he is now part of the Government? Is the Council a property of the Ministry or Government? The Chairman goofed, yes, he did goof. The Council was not handed over to him by government and nothing like that should happened. The Chairman of the Council apparently is now a Director-General in the present government and cannot be seen to fight his paymasters, hence his abdication on the mandate given to him by the youths. The Chairman had earlier made a Press Release claiming that they got counsel from the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and that of Justice to invoke the doctrine of necessity on maintaining status quo, and this was verified by all the Chairmen and speaker of the CWC when I inquired. So, at what point was the Chairman outplayed to the game? This also shows his trust for a system that turned out to betray the youths, and yet some fools are celebrating, including confirmed fraudsters, who have insistently claimed membership of the Council after an obvious and clear confirmation of their frauds, shame!

What would have saved the Council from this embarrassment was a Constitutional amendment, which the Chairman and his EXCO and CWC members failed. Agreed the Constitution did not give room for an interim or caretaker committee, but which is more legitimate? Maintaining status quo by a legally elected EXCO or the hijacking of the process by the government? This is indeed very unfortunate and absurd situation. And now we have a CWC whose tenure expires with the EXCO making concerted efforts to confuse the youths the more? The government forgets easily that only the youths understand their issues and knows best how to solve same. Well, the mischievous 8 who would rather have everything gone to the drain for their inability to achieved their selfish aims are now happy, but deep in their minds, they remain prisoners of conscience and posterity will not judge them kind.
A Quick question to the government. How do you intend to midwife the process of the Elections? Who then will coordinate the youths on behalf of government? Now the CWC has a plan. The Chairmen also have a plan. The Council taken over. Where do you go from here? Back to the courts?

Finally, Dr Fabong must be very strong and intelligent to cause the world to a standstill by creating Covid-19 because he wants to remain Youth Council Chairman forever.

If the Federal Government and State Government can ban churches and mosques and other places of worship from gathering, who then is PYC? Plateau youths, where did you keep your senses? Who did these to you? Dr Fabong is not your enemy, sure he has his faults, but those who are currently holding you captives are the 8 and government their coconspirators.

Joshua Bot Choji
A concerned Plateau Youth.

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OPINION: PYC, Govt and COVID-19; A Real Show of Shame – Joshua Bot Choji