JUST IN: Northern youths distance selves from a call for Bichi’s resignation

Northern youths operating under the aegis of Arewa Youth Federation, AYF, have distanced themselves from the call for the resignation of the Director General of the Department of State Service, DSS, Malam Yusuf Magaji Bichi

AYF, the umbrella body of youths from the 19 northern states of Nigeria, condemned in strong terms, the purported calls by a group it turned into a faceless organisation pretending to be from the region, demanding the resignation of the DSS, director.

It described allegations levelled against Bichi which they claimed, necessitated their demand for his resignation as flimsy and unfounded.

The group which described itself as a staunch advocate for good governance in the country,in a statement, Sunday, described those behind the call as “paid agents who can do anything for money including selling their birthrights.”

In the statement, signed by its national coordinator, Malam Kabir Muhammad, AYF particularly accused cronies of the detained Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele and the Sarkin Hausawa of Lagos State, Alhaji Aminu Yaro Dogara, of sponsoring the campaigns for Bichi’s resignation.

The statement read in part, “Let it be abundantly clear that Arewa Civil Society Organisation, ACSO does not exist neither does it have the mandate of the people it pretends to represent. Those behind this faceless organization are nothing but thugs under the payroll of some unpatriotic elements. As the authentic representatives of our people, we distance ourselves from their threats. The DSS boss and his team are doing a nice job and we stand in solidarity with them”.

In countering the allegations leveled against Bichi and the DSS, the group insisted that as the number one security agency saddled with the responsibility of ensuring national security, the DSS has always acted in an ethical and professional manner while conducting its operations, adding that those trying to blackmail the DSS are agents of corrupt entities bent on jeopardizing Nigeria’s national security.

“As a security agency, the DSS maintain international best practices. Detaining individuals for security reasons is a routine and standard practice everywhere. The DSS has always protected the rights of those in custody and there has never been a case of human right abuses against the DSS. There are also protocols before releasing some persons DSS may be required to follow. This does not in anyway amount to disregard to court orders. Those calling for the sack of Bichi are just disgruntled elements seeking to evade justice”, the statement said.

The group urged the public to disregard the antics of fake CSOs working for the embattled former Governor of the CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele who has been sponsoring spurious media campaigns to blackmail security agents and divert their attention from prosecuting him for his excesses while in office.

“The excitement that greeted the arrest of the suspended CBN governor by the ordinary citizens points to the ills he melted on the people that resulted to several deaths using the instrumentality of the office he occupied.

“It is hilarious that the cronies of Emefiele would launch a smear campaign against the DSS and expect Nigerians to buy in”, the group added.