2023: Ex-students’ Leader Charges Youths to Shun Violence

A former Students leader, John Akinmurele, advises the youth on the need to maintain the peace during the forthcoming general elections in the country.

Ahead of the 2023 elections, a former Students Union President, John Akinmurele, has admonished youths against violence and antics of desperate political elements.

Akinmurele, a former President of the Students Union, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Ondo state, who gave the advice in an interview with the newsmen, hailed the federal government’s directive to close universities and inter-university centres for three weeks, to enable students exercise their franchise.
According to him: “The closing of academic exercise for three weeks is a welcome development.

“It should be seen as an opportunity for mass participation of students in the election because every student-voter would be encouraged to participate at their various polling units”.
He, enjoined parents and guardians to guide their children and wards accordingly, against moves by politicians who might want to exploit them for their selfish political interest.

According to Akinmurele, Nigerian youths must understand their critical role in the nation’s democracy and rise above being used as political thugs.
He said: “In Democracy, the office of the citizens is the highest office and this is so because of the voting right.

“Nigerian youths have displayed capacity in Tech Start- ups, entertainment, sports, digital economy, etc. So, who says we are not capable of politics?
“Now is the time to prove our critics wrong and I want to advise that we should become the inspiration of our colleagues and the generation coming after us”.
Akinmurele added: “As we go to the polls, we need to take ownership of Nigeria from our respective polling units.
“If we desire a better Nigeria, we must start from our polling unit no matter how insignificant it is.

“We need to stand up for the ideals of participatory democracy, reasoning over violence, service over selfishness”.
He cautioned against vote-buying and it’s consequences on development particularly in Ondo state where he hails from.
He said it was unfortunate that the slogan “Dibo ko sebe” (sell your vote, and use the proceed to cook soup) was popularised in Ondo state, during previous elections.

The financial expert advised the people not to sell their hope of liberation from poverty and hunger on the altar of election day handouts.
“We got to this despicable low level because of the draconian and deliberate actions of our political leaders to perpetually keep us as paupers whom they could manipulate.

“We are in another period of elections, even from now till 2024 gubernatorial elections in the state.
“They will come again; they have starched away our common heritage, waiting for the period of elections to becloud our common sense of judgement.
“We must be determined like never before, we must rise up, take our destinies in our hands and brace up for a paradigm shift and a new order,” he said.
While lamenting the high rate of hunger, poverty and insecurity in the state, Akinmurele advised the electorates to reject politician’s promises of deceit.

According to him, Ondo state is blessed with natural and human resources and should not be in the league of states owing workers their wages.
Commenting on the Federal Government’s Naira redesign policy, Akinmurele, a finance expert in Diaspora said the policy is good, except the time of its implementation.

According to him, the feedback Diasporan Nigerians were getting over the policy implementation and the hardship being faced by Nigerians were worrisome and call for concerns.
Akinmurele expressed disapproval of the unprecedented queueing Nigerians had been subjected to as well as violent protests inside banking halls and in some cities.

“Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, claimed that the naira redesign is to help security agencies fight banditry and insurgency.
“He said that the policy will help the country move toward cashless policy, reduce inflation, eliminate corruption and reduce poverty.
“These points ordinarily ought to justify a need for currency redesign.

“However, the much that Nigerians have witnessed so far in the implementation, had clearly shown that it is either the policy was not well thought out or deliberately circumvent for whatsoever ulterior motive,” he said.
According to Akinmurele, currency redesigns, as it is done in other climes, should be seamless, economically enhancing and associated with ecstasy and national pride.

His words:“Currency redesign is not a strange practice in almost every country of the world including the developed ones where it is a periodic exercise.
“For instance, the ascension of King Charles III as the Monarch of England may cause currency redesign in some Commonwealth countries.

“It is, therefore, expected that Naira redesign policy should be a well thought-out exercise having in mind that the informal sector in Nigeria is significant.
“It ought to have been a well advocated and simplified exercise so as to be cleared of all manners of ambiguity, misinterpretation and political colouration”.
Akinmurele appealed to the government to rejig the implementation of the policy to make it easy for people to access their money while calling for calm among the citizens.