The Nigerian Youth Union (NYU) has given the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) 7 days ultimatum to begin equipping primary health care centres across the country or risk a nationwide protest.
NYU president Chinonso Obasi issued the ultimatum at a press conference on behalf of other youths organizations including the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS Zone A, B, C) National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS), and the National Association of University Students (NAUS).
The coalition while expressing concern at the number of local governments without a standard primary healthcare facility, leaving the populace of such communities vulnerable to diseases with attendants high maternal and infant rates, stated that if nothing is done within the next 7-days they would mobilize their members across the country to press home their demands to the NGF and ALGON.
They lamented at the manner in which some state governors are dictating what happens at the local government level by directly controlling and pocketing a great chunk of their money which according to them, had resulted in the decadent state of rural health infrastructure with the masses at the receiving end.
The youth group said, “we reiterate our call on the NGF to restrain from resisting the efforts to build and equip more primary healthcare centers particularly in the face of the current spike in COVID-19 19 cases and other mysterious ailments. Already the NGF is being perceived as anti-masses owing to the deliberate scuttling of crucial healthcare system projects.
“The Nigerian youths, students and civil society groups will continue resisting the anti-people stand of stampeding access to healthcare at the local level and if nothing is done, in the next seven days we shall mobilize our members to press home our demands to the NGF and ALGON.”
