A fresh crisis is brewing in Osun State between the Commissioner for Youths Affairs, Moshood Olagunju and the state chapter of the Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens, CCNC.
This is as the CCNC accused Olagunju of favouritism, secrecy, and mismanagement in the selection process for the National Youth Conference (Confab) committee.
In a statement signed by CCNC Chairman, Akinkunmi Musa Abdulsalam, the group alleged that the Commissioner had consistently sidelined youth organisations that played a central role in recent activism, particularly those involved in the protests which led to the Federal Government’s decision to hold the National Youth Confab.
The group accused Olagunju of excluding its male representative, who was originally submitted by the CCNC, insisting that the Commissioner has shown a pattern of selecting only his associates or persons favourable to his camp.
Abdulsalam said, “The Commissioner’s selection process was done behind closed doors, without consultation, transparency or fairness. Genuine comrades who fought for this cause were deliberately left out. The Commissioner’s actions suggest a clear attempt to hijack the process for personal or political gain.
“Instead of recognising those who engaged the public and stakeholders in the state’s interest, the Commissioner is forcing individuals who never participated in the advocacy process onto the committee.”
The CCNC also raised concerns over alleged collaboration between the Commissioner and a Personal Assistant to the State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, who they claimed has overstayed in office by eight years.
They described this as an unholy alliance used to perpetrate questionable dealings within the Osun State Ministry of Youth Affairs.
“The Ministry is fast becoming a personal empire where only loyalists are considered for opportunities, to the detriment of the wider youth constituency,” the coalition stated.
The group insisted that the matter went beyond gender representation, reiterating that the Commissioner was trying to rewrite history by excluding those who made the Confab possible.
While urging Governor Ademola Adeleke to intervene and ensure that the process is corrected, the group described the current path as explosive and a potential cause of civil unrest among the youth.
“The Governor must act now. The youths are becoming restless, and the situation must be managed before it escalates.
“Any representative who did not participate in advocacy would lack the moral authority to speak on behalf of Osun youth at the national level,” the group added.
They called for a full disclosure of the selection criteria and demanded inclusion in every phase of planning and representation.
Responding to these allegations, Olagunju defended the Ministry’s actions, stating that all decisions were taken in line with directives from the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, Abuja.
According to the Commissioner, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports later demanded a 50/50 gender representation, which affected the initial nominations submitted by several states, including Osun.
“I was instructed to submit eight names, with the ninth slot being an automatic inclusion. This is not a list of beneficiaries but committee members to guide the Confab.
“During a Zoom meeting with all 36 state Commissioners of Youths, I challenged the sudden change to the 70/30 gender ratio arrangement.
“We were told it was a ministerial directive. The Osun State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria and the National Association of Nigerian Students submitted female names accordingly,” Olagunju stated.
The Commissioner added that CCNC was contacted and asked to submit a female representative, but they declined, insisting on retaining their initial male nominee.
He maintained that CCNC’s refusal to comply demonstrated a hidden agenda.
“To convince them, I sent them Ekiti State’s list as proof that other states complied. Instead of complying, they started threatening me and claimed I was manipulating the process.
“They said they had no female members. I told them to nominate anyone, even if it was a girlfriend. I needed to fulfil and meet up with the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports’ directive,” he stated.
The Commissioner, who said the state’s participation would not be hindered by one group, stressed that the state will not be held back because of CCNC’s intransigence.
“Another group will be picked if necessary,” he maintained.
He accused CCNC of attempting to blackmail him and revealed that he had alerted security agencies following threats of planned protests at his office on Monday.
He maintained that no favouritism was involved and that the CCNC’s exclusion was due to their refusal to meet the gender requirement, not because of any personal vendetta.
Olagunju, however, insisted that the process was transparent and aligned with federal expectations.
“Let them contact the Minister of Youth directly to confirm the directive,” he said.
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