NANS Faults Northern Youth Council Over Umahi Removal Call, Cautions Against Politicising Habila’s Death

0

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), has criticised the Northern Youth Council over its call for the removal of the Minister of Works, Engineer David Umahi, warning against exploiting the death of Miss Mary Habila for personal and political gains.

In a statement signed by its President, Dist. Comr. Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, and issued on Thursday, NANS said it had been monitoring developments surrounding Habila’s death and the controversy involving the Minister, describing itself as the largest youth-driven organisation and most formidable pressure group in the country.

While extending condolences over Habila’s death, the association said the tragedy should not be used by any group or individual to push personal vendettas or political interests.

NANS said available reports showed that Umahi had consistently called for the actual cause and circumstances of Habila’s death to be established, and had formally requested an autopsy, a request the association said the deceased’s family objected to.

The association questioned the rationale behind the Northern Youth Council’s seven-day ultimatum for Umahi to step aside, noting that the council had no clear record of prior agitation for the empowerment of Northern youths.

NANS averred that a logical and impartial body would not demand the minister’s resignation when he had shown openness to investigation.

NANS said the council had misplaced its priorities and mandate, and called on it to desist from using the situation to attack the minister, whom it described as having performed efficiently in office.

The association said it was aware of official project reports from the Ministry of Works and had observed the quality of road projects being executed across the country.

The statement read, “According to the reports and documents available to us, the Honourable Minister of Works, Engineer David Umahi, has consistently maintained that the actual cause and circumstances of Miss Habila’s death should be established and unraveled.

“Reports also have it that he has formally requested the conduct of an autopsy to determine the cause of death, a request which, according to reports, the family of the deceased objected to.

“Thus, we denounce the position of the Northern Youth Council calling for the removal of the Minister of Works as an ill-conceived attack on the performing Honourable Minister, who has submitted an official request to the police for the conduct of an autopsy to establish the cause of Late Mary Habila’s death.

“The Council should henceforth refrain from attacking the Minister, who has been working around the clock to deliver the mandate of the Renewed Hope Administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, through the construction of quality roads, and instead address the issue at hand from a logical and impartial standpoint.

The students’ body described the call for Umahi’s removal as an ill-conceived attack on a performing minister, and urged the council to instead approach the matter from a logical and impartial standpoint, allowing the minister to continue delivering on the mandate of the Renewed Hope Administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.