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Adamawa: Group Tackles Governor Fintiri, Says he Reneged On Promise Of Appointing Young People As Cabinet Members

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Adamawa: Group Tackles Governor Fintiri, Says he Reneged On Promise Of Appointing Young People As Cabinet Members

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A socio-political group, Pitapwa has rejected the list of nominated commissioners expected to form the cabinet of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State.

At a press conference on Friday in Yola, the state capital, the group described Governor Fintiri’s commissioner nominees as excluding young and energetic persons who fought to secure his reelection.

Governor Fintiri, had while addressing supporters after his reelection, promised to form a cabinet of 80 per cent young people.

Therefore, the youth group has faulted the 23-man list of nominated commissioners, saying old people, including retired Permanent Secretaries have dominated the cabinet.

On June 15, 2023, Saharareporters reported that Some women and youths have protested against the inclusion of retired Permanent Secretaries, among other octogenarians nominated into the cabinet of the Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.

The youths also decried the exclusion of young people from the list forwarded to the governor for consideration.

Protesting on Friday, spokesperson for the group, Pitapwa Vokito said reneging on the promise to build a ‘majority youths cabinet’ is a betrayal of confidence, which calls to question, the governor’s integrity.

He said, “We will however not hesitate to state unequivocally that some of the Governor’s take offs are not commendable particularly the recent list of commissioner-nominees submitted to the Adamawa State House of Assembly for screening and subsequent approval.

“It is worthy of note that the desire of all well meaning Adamawa youths is the Progress and Prosperity of our dear state and the country at large.

“But this cannot happen except with the government’s deliberate and conscious involvement of the youths in policy making and policy execution.

“With over 60 percent of its population being youths, Adamawa State is among States with the youngest population in the Nigeria. In 20 years from now, the youth population will rise by 20 percent.This demography, when spiced with the right responsibilities for long enough, will be a huge advantage for not only the state but the country at large.

“But its quite unfortunate what we’re seeing today by the deliberate exclusion of the youths by the Government of the day under His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri who got into power by the sole mandate of the youths.

“It is of outmost importance we remind His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri that the youths of Adamawa State will forever be the backbone of this State. Their physical and intellectual energies matter to the growth and development of this state.

“Prior to the elections, the Governor just like all other candidates went into social contract with the youths of the state to offer a significant recognition in his government by way of involving them in decision making via appointments.

“The failure of the state governor to keep his part amount to bridge of contract which may not go down well with his Person if he’s known for not keeping up to his promises. Those who cannot honor their words do not qualify for leadership.

“We dare to say, if we the youths can be instrumental to political victories, we sure can hold political offices and change the narrative of the state for the better.”

They argued that excluding young people from governance could disadvantaged, a significant portion of the population.

“We hereby suggest that it is not too late to withdraw some of the Commissioner-nominees and replace them with the Adamawa youths who were on the verge of being marginalized. We hope that while the government sees reasons in this submission, we also implore it to ensure that rooms are not given to errors in the subsequent moves for Political appointments by ensuring that a significant percentage of youths occupy such offices”, Vokito said.

Responding, Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Humwashi Wonosikou, said “they’re not been fair to the governor, because two commissioner nominees from their own catchment alone are are both young people.”