Addressing Nigeria’s problems require an iron hand — CEYIPSOD President
Ambassador Adeleye Oluseye, is the National President, Centre for Youth Integrity, Peace and Social Development (CEYIPSOD). In this interview with Florence Ayoola and Faizat Adeboye, he commented on the troubling issues of unemployment and insecurity challenges in Nigeria. According to him, to tackle the issues of insecurity in the Country demand nothing but an iron hand. He mentioned that while efforts have been made to always engage the Government in addressing national problems, the Government has largely been inattentive to the calls. Excerpts:
The profile of CEYIPSOD programmes is observed to be largely for youths and citizens’ empowerment. In one of your programmes, you pleaded with Government to tackle the issue of unemployment, do you think anything has been done on this?
Yes, that was in a programme held sometimes ago. As you can see, when we are talking about empowerment, our Organization has done a lot to empower people, particularly youths. In Centre for Youth Integrity, Peace and Social Development (CEYIPSOD) we have been empowering people—the less privileged; those who have learnt one or two things have gotten funds to start up. We have helped students that needed financial assistance. We have series of needs that the organisation is catering for.
Is there any way the government is backing or supporting CEYIPSOD financially?
The members have been the ones funding everything from their quota. The members pay their dues. It is from the dues that we fund the empowerment programmes. We are not subjected to the government and we have never received any token from the government; whether federal or state to fund our programmes. It is a selfless programme that we all care to do. So, we tax ourselves so that we can meet the needs of the masses.
Drawing from what has been read and what you have spoken about regarding your efforts in empowering people—what is the level of your advocacy with the Government to tackle the issue of unemployment, and do you think the Government has listened?
Well, we have done a lot of programmes in the past. I am the President of that Association. I have been there for about three to four years and we have advocated for employment several times in this Country but we are in a situation where those in power have no response; even when you want to dialogue, the president is not available for you to dialogue with him. We had a programme in Ekiti state two years ago where we were opportuned to meet the State’s Commissioner for Women and Capital Development and we talked about the empowerment of the youths. Well, there was a programme then, they were able to come up with modalities that assisted little people. So, in all these efforts we have been agitating. In the course of agitation, there has been no positive result from the state or federal government at large.
Asides empowerment, is there any other national issue that you tackle?
Yes, we have other things we look in to aside empowerment. We also invest in Farming system so that food can be produced and jobs can also be created. In addition, we also advocate for the rights of the people like the saga that happened in South Africa, the xenophobia issue. The organisation came together to fight and defend Nigerians in South Africa. We told the federal government that kind of thing should not happen to Nigerians. So our organisation has taken part in a lot of programmes that has shapened Nigeria into what it is today.
The general perspective is that Youths are the hardest set of persons to lead; has there been any great challenge that has made you thought of quiting the organisation?
Well, challenges are part of life. We drive around it on daily basis. So, we don’t allow that to stop us. Even in the course of sorting issues, there are challenges. Humans are bound to face challenges; when it comes, you face it. The organisation has faced a lot. I, personally, have faced a lot. When we are talking about leading people, organising symposium here and there, educating people, there are always challenges. Those are the things we face as far as the organisation is concerned. It is part of us, we don’t run from it.
What is the current spread of CEYIPSOD as an NGO?
Well! To God be the glory for how far we’ve come. Presently, CEYIPSOD is running in 17 states. We have six States in the South West, six states in the South South and also in the North Central. So, we are moving; the way it is run in Ekiti is the same way it is run in other states. I am the National president. We use to have our overall programme once in a year.
Are there notable achievements of this organisation?
I can’t even count. Those who have tasted of the goodness of our organization can testify. I can’t count all we have achieved. We have been able to employ people; through our programmes we have gotten jobs for people. Our Board Of Trustees (BoT) has been very supportive. We have Professors, Vice Chancellor and the likes in our BoT and they have helped in securing jobs for members. In all the 17 states, we have been receiving assistance from Professors, Vice Chancellors and members of the Board of Trustees to the organisation. So, that is part of the empowerment that I talked on earlier, and it is a programme we cherish and we’ve been running for long now.
You have empowered citizens of Nigeria thereby helping the government do their job, has CEYIPSOD helped in tackling insecurity?
Yes! We had a programme sometimes last year, March to be precise. We held the programme in Ondo state, where we talked about insecurity in the Country. We foresaw the insecurity issue before it happened. The killings of innocent people, the kidnapping and the likes, we saw it before it happened and we came up with a modality that is going to help the situation; but the thing I see with the issue of security in this country is not encouraging. Those in leadership position have not deem it fit to look downward to settle the issue of insecurity. For instance, look at the police force who are not well equipped, if there is insurgency or insecurity emergency, is it someone who is not well equipped that will tackle the situation? We wrote a communique that the federal government should equip our forces. So, these are the programmes we organise to tackle the issue affecting Nigeria. You see the insecurity happening now, if the federal government had done something to tackle it earlier, we won’t be witnessing what we are witnessing now; but I still want to believe if the federal government handles the current situation well, all will be settled.
What do you think the government can do to tackle this?
There is a lot the government can do to tackle this. The length and breath of the Country lies in the hands of the Federal government, and I want to so believe that this issue of insecurity, if there is no insider factor, there is no way the hoodlums or those who don’t have good intentions can penetrate. So, the government has a lot to do on security issues. They need to equip the security agencies with necessary equipments and gadgets. They should be well orientated; the government should involve intelligent people in this security matter.
Are you in support of individuals getting license for arms to protect themselves?
No! I am not in support of that. That will be another issue entirely. We won’t be afraid of ourselves, if any issue occurs, it won’t be resolved because everyone now has a license to use arms. There will be lots of casualties. So, I am not in support of individuals getting arms to protect themselves.
What do you think about Sunday Igboho’s action against the Fulani Herdsmen? Do you think he is doing the right thing? Do you think going physical with these people is right?
I won’t say Chief Sunday Igboho is right or wrong. He is only trying to protect his people. He is trying to rescue them from being killed. You know the situation of this Country needs an iron hand. He has been protecting the lives and properties of Yoruba lineage. These people are killing innocent people, raping girls, kidnapping and collecting money from people. Look at the incident in Bauchi. There is a lot happening in Nasarawa State. This is uncalled for. It is because we don’t have government that sees us as one; that is what I can say. So, tackling this insecurity by going physical with these people is the best solution.
You want Nigeria to be one and at the same time you support fighting back the Fulani Herdsmen, don’t you think these two views contradict each other?
It is the negligence of the Government. If they can come around to look for a modality that will solve these issues, it will be good. We have been living together for long in peace without all these issues we are having now. It is during this present regime that we have so much insecurity and tribal wars here and there. If truly we are one Nigeria, the President needs to come out and clarify that. He should take legal actions in resolving this; anything lesser than that is not it, unless he wants this country divided.
What are you as a citizen doing to help this situation?
We have been doing a lot but the government does not want to listen. We have put pen on paper to communicate with the government on what they need to do. They should have reacted earlier on. The President kept mute; people are dying and the president is not doing anything. We are even afraid, we don’t know if the man is for us or against us and he said on the day of his swearing in that he belongs to no one; that he is for everybody. I want to believe that is just a term; an armed forces term, because if the President can be mute when people are dying, hard times surely lie ahead. It will not be possible for Fulanis to be killing fellow Nigerians and Mr President is there, not doing anything; a President of over 200 million Nigerians. So, we still want to urge Mr. President to do the needful in order to tackle the insecurity issues in Nigeria.
