By Billy Graham Abel, Yola
The Northern Leaders Youth Forum (NLYF), the umbrella body for some forty two northern youth groups, have endorsed the ban on open grazing in the country and has also called for a national dialogue to address the countries problems.
The Northern Leaders Youth Forum made this known at its 27th delegates’ conference held in Yola, Adamawa State.
Addressing reporters in Yola, National Chairman of Norther Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF), Elliot Afiyo, condemned the Minister Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, for his utterance on the ban on open grazing.
‘We have taken time to study the communique issued by the Southern Governors, especially on the ban on open grazing,’ he said.
‘We want to state clearly that open grazing has been the greatest threat to the environment of the northern region and also a major threat to security of lives and property in the entire country.
‘To the ban on open grazing, we call for the establishment of a herders commission or agency to cater to the needs of the herders.
We also condemned the statement credited to the Attorney General of the Federation on the ban on open grazing.
‘We, therefore, appeal to the President to caution his ministers and aides who despite being in government for six years are still having opposition mentality,’ he said.
The group, speaking on the unfortunate plane crash, said: ‘We received with disbelief and astonishment the news of a plane crash which claimed the lives of officers of the Nigerian Army and Airforce including that of the Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Ibrahim Attahiru.
‘We sincerely and honestly frowned at the manner and rate of these plane crashes.
‘We, therefore, call for the immediate composition of an independent investigative panel to ascertain the remote cause(s) of this plane crash and the report.
Afiyo also disclosed that NYLF would unvail its endorsed candidate for Nigeria’s presidency in 2023 on June 5.