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  • 2027 House Of Reps Hopeful, Ademola Agoro Installed As Patron, Osun NYCN ..calls for meaningful empowerment The National Youth Council of Nigeria, Osun State, on Saturday installed the Managing Director, Protogy Global, Engr Ademola Isaac Agoro as Patron. This was at the 2025 International Youth Day celebration in Osogbo with the theme โ€œYouth Advancing Multilateral Cooperation through Technology and Partnership.โ€ In his keynote, Engr. Agoro explained that youth empowerment must be seen as a strategic investment in Osunโ€™s future. He called for the establishment of technology and innovation hubs, a Youth Development Fund, and stronger youthโ€“industry partnerships. Engr. Agoro expressed deep gratitude for the honor and pledged to further champion youth causes in the state: โ€œThis investiture is not just a personal recognition; it is a call to greater service. I dedicate this honor to the vibrant young people of Osun State, whose resilience and creativity continue to inspire us all. “As Patron of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Osun State Chapter, I will work closely with government, industry, and development partners to open more doors of opportunity for our youth. Together, we will ensure that the dreams of Osun youth translate into tangible achievements that uplift our state and our nation.โ€ In his goodwill message, Hon. Olagunju Moshood Olalekan, Commissioner for Youth Affairs, reaffirmed the governmentโ€™s commitment to youth-focused policies, praising their resilience and innovation. Oba (Dr.) Michael Odunayo ร€jร yรญ, the Elerinmo of Erinmo-Ijesha, urged young people to blend innovation with discipline, while upholding cultural values as the bedrock of sustainable progress. Captains of industry at the event pledged stronger support for youth-led ventures through mentorship, funding, and partnerships. The celebration concluded with optimism and renewed commitment, as stakeholders affirmed that Osun youth are not just beneficiaries of development but active leaders and partners in building a prosperous future for the state and Nigeria at large. The high-profile event was graced by His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Michael Odunayo ร€jร yรญ (Arowotawaya II), the Elerinmo of Erinmo-Ijesha Kingdom, the Honourable Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Osun State, Hon. Olagunju Moshood Olalekan, other distinguished royal fathers, top government officials, and captains of industry.
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Home ยป ๐€๐ง ๐Ž๐ฉ๐ž๐ง ๐‹๐ž๐ญ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐“๐จ ๐†๐ž๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐š๐ฅ ๐ˆ๐›๐ซ๐š๐ก๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐š๐›๐š๐ง๐ ๐ข๐๐š: ๐€๐›๐š๐œ๐ก๐šโ€™๐ฌ ๐‹๐ž๐ ๐š๐œ๐ฒ ๐’๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ž๐ฌ ๐–๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ž ๐˜๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐…๐š๐ฅ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ž๐

๐€๐ง ๐Ž๐ฉ๐ž๐ง ๐‹๐ž๐ญ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐“๐จ ๐†๐ž๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐š๐ฅ ๐ˆ๐›๐ซ๐š๐ก๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐š๐›๐š๐ง๐ ๐ข๐๐š: ๐€๐›๐š๐œ๐ก๐šโ€™๐ฌ ๐‹๐ž๐ ๐š๐œ๐ฒ ๐’๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ž๐ฌ ๐–๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ž ๐˜๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐…๐š๐ฅ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ž๐

Lekan Shobo ShobowaleBy Lekan Shobo ShobowaleFebruary 22, 20255 Mins Read
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๐€๐ง ๐Ž๐ฉ๐ž๐ง ๐‹๐ž๐ญ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ ๐“๐จ ๐†๐ž๐ง๐ž๐ซ๐š๐ฅ ๐ˆ๐›๐ซ๐š๐ก๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐š๐›๐š๐ง๐ ๐ข๐๐š: ๐€๐›๐š๐œ๐ก๐šโ€™๐ฌ ๐‹๐ž๐ ๐š๐œ๐ฒ ๐’๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ž๐ฌ ๐–๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ž ๐˜๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐…๐š๐ฅ๐ญ๐ž๐ซ๐ž๐

February 21, 2025

Dear General Babangida,

Your memoir, ๐€ ๐‰๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ž๐ฒ ๐ˆ๐ง ๐’๐ž๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐œ๐ž, launched yesterday, February 20, 2025, in Abuja, has stirred the pot once more. Through your book reviewer, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, you admitted that Chief MKO Abiola won the June 12, 1993, election, a truth long known to Nigerians. Yet, youโ€™ve shifted the blame to General Sani Abacha, claiming he was your โ€œbiggest headacheโ€ and the mastermind behind the annulment. You wrote, โ€œWithout question, one of my biggest headaches at this time was Sani Abacha. I knew that Abacha was ambivalent about a return to civil rule,โ€ and alleged he led forces that annulled the election without your authority while you were in Katsina. This narrative, casting Abacha as the villain and yourself as a sidelined bystander, is a convenient rewrite of history. The facts tell a different story: your eight years in power gutted Nigeria, while Abacha, for all his complexities, rebuilt it into a stronger, prouder nation. Letโ€™s set the record straight.

In your book, you claim ignorance of the annulment, stating that the press secretary to your second-in-command, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, announced it without your permission. You wrote, โ€œTo suddenly have an announcement made without my authority was, to put it mildly, alarming. I remember saying: โ€˜These nefarious โ€œinsideโ€ forces opposed to the elections have outflanked me!โ€™ I would later find out that the โ€˜forcesโ€™ led by General Sani Abacha annulled the elections.โ€ This is a flimsy dodge. You were the Commander-in-Chief, sir, not a bystander. The June 12 election, which you now concede was โ€œcredible, free, and fair,โ€ was annulled under your watch on June 24, 1993, via a national broadcast you authorized. If Abacha outmaneuvered you, why appoint him Chief of Defence Staff? Why leave him as the Interim National Governmentโ€™s (ING) military linchpin when you โ€œstepped asideโ€? Your claim that he became a โ€œdominant force in a factionalised militaryโ€ only underscores your failure to command loyalty or control your own regime.

You paint Abacha as a schemer, alleging he โ€œattempted to violently remove me from power through a coupโ€ by spreading a narrative that I was โ€œthe problem.โ€ Yet, history shows he saved you during the 1990 Orkar coup, rallying loyal troops when your life hung in the balance. Youโ€™ve admitted this before, praising him on your 74th birthday in 2015 for coming to your aid. Whereโ€™s the loyalty Abacha showed you? We might never hear his side of the story, but history never lies; it records his actions, not your recastings. Now, you label him a headache to absolve yourself. The contradiction is glaring: if Abacha was so untrustworthy, why entrust him with Nigeriaโ€™s defense? Your memoirโ€™s finger-pointing reeks of hindsight crafted to dodge accountability.

Letโ€™s talk about your legacy. June 12 wasnโ€™t Abachaโ€™s doing; it was yours. You annulled Nigeriaโ€™s fairest election, sparking unrest and shattering democratic hopes. Your Interim Government under Ernest Shonekan was a puppet show, collapsing in three months because you designed it to fail. Economically, your IMF-backed Structural Adjustment Program tanked the naira from 0.89 to 17 per dollar by 1993, unleashed inflation, and impoverished millions, while you siphoned off $12 billion, dwarfing any โ€œAbacha loot.โ€ Politically, you banned real parties, executed rivals like Mamman Vatsa on shaky grounds, and stoked religious strife with the OIC move. Nigeria bled under your watch; Abacha merely inherited the wreckage.

Abacha took power in 1993 not to ruin Nigeria, but to steady it. Economically, he grew reserves from $494 million to $9.6 billion and cut debt from $36 billion to $27 billion, all with oil at $15 a barrel. Inflation fell from 54% to 8.5%. He built roads in Lagos, Kano, and beyond, delivering what you only promised. You call him โ€œambivalentโ€ about civilian rule, yet he began a transition framework in 1995, cut short by his death in 1998, paving the way for 1999โ€™s democracy. Your memoir begrudges his resolve; I see a leader who acted where you wavered.

You scorn his defiance, but Abachaโ€™s stand against globalists was Nigeriaโ€™s gain. After the 1995 Saro-Wiwa execution, a domestic call youโ€™d have ducked, sanctions hit. He didnโ€™t bend. He allied with Libyaโ€™s Gaddafi, hosting him in Kano in 1997 to cheers of thousands, and led ECOWAS to stabilize West Africa. You courted the West; Abacha defied them, preserving our sovereignty.

Your book admits regret, saying, โ€œJune 12 happened under my watch; mistakes, oversights, and missteps happened in quick succession,โ€ and โ€œIf I have to do it all over again, Iโ€™d do it differently.โ€ Too late, sir. You claim Abacha โ€œwanted that job at all cost,โ€ a line from a 2018 interview you now amplify. Yet, if he was your headache, you empowered him. History favors Abacha not for flawlessness; his rule was tough, but for results: stability, growth, and pride. You left Nigeria broken; he left it standing tall. Your memoir canโ€™t rewrite that.

Sincerely,
Sameer Lukman

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