Opinion
By Muhammad Saleh Katam
It is with a profound sense of disappointment and frustration that I respond to the above brouhaha and propaganda. It is deeply concerning that a small, unrepresentative group of youth and student leaders is consistently manipulated by the state government to speak for the marginalized majority. This undermines the genuine voices of our young people and perpetuates a cycle of disenfranchisement.
The government's disregard for student welfare is evident in their arbitrary fee hikes and the unexplained suspension of scholarship payments for the previous years. The once-respected students' union (GOSSA) has been reduced to a mere tool, deployed at the government's convenience.
It is a paradox of our time that the very voices often heralded as the harbingers of change have become its adversaries. Students and youth leaders, the bedrock of a nation's future, are inexplicably protesting the fundamental right to peaceful assembly. Their actions are not just misguided but a betrayal of the very citizens they purport to represent.
Rather than stifling legitimate dissent, these young minds should be at the forefront of channeling public anger into constructive action. This is a moment that demands leadership, not suppression. By mobilizing for peaceful and lawful protest, they could have transformed frustration into a force for positive change. Instead, they have chosen a path that undermines the democratic principles upon which our nation is built.
The assembly of the GOSSA National Secretariat and a so-called Coalition of Gombe State Youth Groups at the government house is a clear pattern of suppressing young leadership and denying us opportunities to contribute to our state's progress. And if Gombe State youths can remember, these are the same people that were perceived to be sponsored to protest against the nomination of Engr. Umar Hashidu as the Chairman of the NEDC during Muhammadu Buhari's tenure.
We are at a critical juncture where our collective voices must rise in unison to demand accountability from the state government. Recently, the FG donated 20 trucks of rice to each of the state governors for distribution to vulnerable people, yet Gombe state's allocation remains conspicuously absent.
Furthermore, the use of N25 billion for NG Cares, meant to alleviate the suffering of our people, is an unforgivable breach of public trust. These funds were intended to provide relief, but instead, but yet achieve its purposes.
Let us demonstrate that we are a force to be reckoned with, a generation determined to create a better future for ourselves and for generations to come. Together, we can make meaningful change.
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