NYCN: Ogun Students Threaten Showdown With NSCDC Over Officer’s Involvement, Call For Probe
By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA
The relative peace and harmony between the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ogun State Command, and students in the state may hit the rock due to involvement of one its officers, Abduljabaar Ayelagbe in the activities of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN)
The students in show of respect hereby called on the state Commandant and the South-West Zonal Commandant of the NSCDC to probe and sanction Abduljabaar Ayelagbe for his involvement and having falsified his age to contest for the position of the NYCN Chairman.
The students under the auspices of the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) and the National Association of Nigerians Students (NANS), made the call at a media briefing addressed by the state Chairman of NANS JCC, Comrade Bamgbose Tomiwa, held in Abeokuta on Sunday.
At the briefing, they insisted that Ayelagbe, as a law enforcement officer emergence as the chairman of NYCN contravened the constitution of the council, assing that he cannot act as the state chairman and also be a personnel of the NSCDC without jeopardising the interest of the youths in the state.
They noted: “We are aware that the Act establishing NSCDC did not allow any of his officers to participate in the activities of any organisation that is partisan in nature like the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) which main objective is protecting and promoting the interest of young people in Nigeria at all level of governance.
“We wonder how a law enforcement officer can act in this capacity without jeopardising the interest of the young people it ought to represent. Ayelagbe had falsified his age to allow him contest for the position of the NYCN chairman.
“The constitution of the council equally disqualified Abduljabaar Ayelagbe ab initio from contesting for any elective position in the council because he is above 35 years which is the maximum age recognised for all aspirants contesting for any elective office in the council.
“Ayelagbe falsified his age which is a capital offence for lying under oath and we hereby urged the leadership of NSCDC to investigate him and equally sanction him accordingly.”
Meanwhile, in his reaction, Ayelagbe who spoke on phone denied all the allegations made against him by the students, insisting that he was qualified for the position of the NYCN chairman.
He disclosed: “What I know is that I am qualified for the office and this council is a voluntary organisation which is supervising all other voluntary organisations in the state.
“On the allegation of falsification of age, I don’t know where they got that from, but I presented my birth certificate before the council and the public. I have presented all the facts. I am occupying a public position and I have put all the necessary information about me out in the public domain.
“There will not be any conflict of interest between the NSCDC and NYCN. The youth council is a voluntary service, it is a voluntary organisation meant for youths that are rendering voluntary services to the public.”
