Wike: I Don’t Believe in Youth Conferences, Questions Odinkalu’s Record at  NHRC

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

 Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, yesterday  knocked youth conferences as a wasteful venture that does not help Nigerian youth.

He asserted this at the unveiling of the N10 billion FCT Renewed Hope programme where 80 vehicles were injected into FCT transport system.

Rather, Wike posited that instead of conferences, youth should be empowered through skill acquisition programmes.

“I am not going to approve any conferences that don’t help any youth. I am not going to release N1. When you see budget you will feel sorry for the country because one way of siphoning public funds is through conferences,” Wike said.

He charged the FCT Youth Secretariat Mandate Secretary, Abdullahi Ango to draw up programmes on skill acquisition for the youth on ICT training to improve lives of the youth and not to complain that youth were not being carried along.

The minister said the 80 brand new vehicles were provided to the youth free by government to reduce cost of transportation in the city. He said the vehicles, when fully operational will lead to phasing out of commercial motor cycles and tricycles in Guzape, Maitama and Asokoro districts.

He added that the drivers had been profiled by security agents, saying by January 2025,  all taxi drivers in Abuja would be profiled for security reasons, while all vehicles will operate from the bus terminals to be commissioned by January.

Wike also took a swipe obviously directed at a fiery critic, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, saying  the human rights lawyer did not have an exemplary record as the Chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

“Someone showed me a write up they said was written by a professor. I asked him professor of which university? Nobody knows.

“‘ They were given opportunity in Human Rights Commission. Ask them, what was their performance? What was the record when government gave him opportunity to be there, zero,” Wike said.

 He assured that many projects will be commissioned in the FCT before December, saying: “Those who will die, let them die. We owe nobody any apology”.