Soldiers’ wives protest deployment of troops to Gwoza

By Isiaka Wakili

President Goodluck Jonathan has raised the alarm that those disturbing the country are old men. Although the president did not name those he was referring to, he said old men were the ones preaching hate and instigating quarrel with a view to dividing the nation on the basis of religion and ethnicity.

Jonathan spoke at the International Conference Centre in Abuja yesterday at an international youth summit, organised by the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF), themed “Capacity for Change for a New Nigeria”.

He said: “I always say that whenever you read newspapers, watch television or listen to the radio; those who preach hate, quarrel and try to divide us on the basis of ethnicity and religion are not the young people, but grandfathers.

“The youths live with whoever they are comfortable with regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation. They want to marry whoever they love. They are not like those old people who are disturbing us, who want to divide us based on religion and all kinds of sentiments. But listening to you here gives me hope that this country is beginning to change, and it is changing for the better”.

The president called for the removal of the constitutional age limit of 40 years as qualification for the nation’s presidency.

Describing the age limit as discriminatory, Jonathan said the youth had the energy, ideas and all it took to lead Nigeria to greatness.

The president asked the youth to draft a constitutional amendment bill for the removal of all discriminatory provisions in terms of age, pledging that he would support them (the youth).

According to him, the youth would be limiting themselves by demanding any percentage for political affirmation because they have the numerical strength and capability to ascend to the highest office in the land.

“The youth have no limit in terms of number and capacity to lead this country to greatness. The only limit is that for the youth to contest as president, they need to be 40. If General Yakubu Gowon was able to rule this country at 32, there is no reason why the youth should not be given the chance. So, don’t ask for percent because by that request, you are limiting yourselves.

“I think what the youth should do now is to come together, and I will support you, and take a bill to the National Assembly to amend some discriminatory provisions of the constitution in terms of age’’, he said.

Jonathan said his administration would continue to support the youth through policies and programmes that would harness their huge potentials for national development.

He said he would continue to create opportunities for them through such programmes as YouWin, SURE-P, Graduate Internship Scheme and the Community Service Programme.

Jonathan noted that the youth

WFrom Hamza Idris, Maiduguri

ives of soldiers at the 21 Armoured Brigade in Maiduguri, Borno State, yesterday barricaded the gate of the military facility, insisting that they would not allow their husbands to be deployed to Gwoza and other volatile locations in order to confront Boko Haram insurgents.

Our correspondent reports that the protest came shortly after an alleged mass burial of over 50 soldiers that were killed in combat in the last few days. The women said they want their husbands alive, pointing out that the Federal Government must provide soldiers with “requisite superior equipment” to defeat Boko Haram insurgents.

Journalists could only speak to some of the protesting women by phone as they were not allowed into the barracks. “We are tired of receiving dead bodies of our husbands. We are ready to confront anybody on this matter. Our husbands are not ants,” said one of the women leaders.

Another woman said their husbands were willing to fight. “We want the government to do the right thing by rising to the challenges,” she said.