A youth group, Students in Nigeria Re-awakening Initiative (STINRI), has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to watch his back and beware of sycophants bent on truncating his re-election.
Mr Nathan Oguwike, the Chairman and Board of Trustee, STINRI said this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Youth Development, Mr Boni Haruna on Wednesday in Abuja.
The minister was represented by Mrs Chidima Ibekwe, the Deputy Director, Network for Social Mobilisation, Ministry of Youth Development.
He said that some of the people surrounding President Goodluck Jonathan were not interested in forwarding the course of his re-election, adding that they were only interested in enriching their pockets.
“Some of these people see Mr President as the carcass to feed on therefore they gather around him to feed on him.’’
He said that some of these people were the reason the president almost lost his support base at the grassroots in the last quarter of 2014.
“President Jonathan had a tremendous and overwhelming following at the grassroots before the last quarter of the year but was mismanaged by persons who are supposed to manage his presidential campaign.”
According to him, they treated the leaders of support groups as if they are not needed in the scheme of things for the president’s re-election.
Oguwike however berated politicians for heating up the polity, adding that politicians of the two major political parties were showing desperation through hate messages.
“This is a negative development in the political life of Nigeria. Campaigning for elective posts should not be a do or die affair.’’
He urged the youth to desist from being used to perpetrate political violence, adding that “any youths approached for such an act should be bold enough to say no.’’
Oguwike called for free, fair and credible elections, adding that all Nigerians had the right to vote whoever they wanted.
Responding, the minister said that some of the president’s supporters were sincerely preparing for the forthcoming general elections.
He said that this accounted for why the group had not been attended to.
“The preparation for the forthcoming elections is the major reason why you have not been giving serious attention.
“Some of the president’s supporters are also busy working on the security situation so that peace will return to some parts of the country,’’ the minister said.
The minister said that the ministry was not relenting in its agenda to see to youth development in the country.
He urged the group to keep on with the good work of encouraging students to make the maximum use of their talents.