Young Professionals For Progress (YPP) Calls On Dr. Mimiko To Leave Labour Party
Press Releases September 28, 2018 admin
PRESS RELEASE:
We, the Young Professionals For Progress (YPP), a coalition of 23 groups of young Nigerian professionals hereby call on our mentor and leader, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko to step away from the on-going unproductive drama between president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba and the leadership of the Labour Party, LP, so we, can all focus on the task of ushering Nigeria into a new dawn.
With a documented grassroots membership of over 50,000, YPP consists of zealous young Nigerians, hoping to actualize the dream of a peaceful, working Nigeria.
Many members of YPP had little or no interest and experience in active politics, but inspired by the exemplary performance of Dr. Mimiko during his two terms as governor of Ondo State, we have made the decision to become open and vocal vessels for the positive transformation of our dear country.
With a track record of visible projects which have had lasting impact on the masses, with emphasis on universal healthcare, education, poverty alleviation and youth empowerment, most members of YPP were inspired to take a stand and come out publicly for the first time and lend our voices to issues concerning politics and governance.
As a group, we have made retrospective evaluation, we have followed your enviable leadership from your time as Commissioner of Health in Ondo State to your stint as secretary to the Ondo State government to your laudable tenure as minister for Housing and Urban Development up until your assumption of office as the governor of the state. One thing we have valued over time is your ability to make the best of every situation, produce quality results without losing focus of the goal – which is service to the masses.
Thursday, September 13, 2018 would be a day to remember for members of YPP as we saw our visionary leader, declare his intention to become President of Nigeria, a move which many of us – and indeed millions of Nigerians- saw as the Nigerian version of the march of the children of Israel from Egypt to the promised land with you, Dr. Mimiko as our anointed Moses.
It was then with dismay and disgust that we received reports of resistance against your candidacy from Ayuba Wabba, one of the most ineffectual labour leaders Nigeria has ever had, – an unnecessary distraction towards this march towards lasting peace and progress.
With respect to your declaration speech where you said “There comes a moment in the life of a nation when every patriot must stand up to be counted. At such a moment, nobody who is worthy of a place in history should remain ensconced in their comfort zone” we believe the time is NOW, and at this point we believe leaving the Labour Party – a party which you brought to national relevance in 2006 when you decided to use the platform to run for Ondo Governor – and actualize the dream of many teeming youths.
In our opinion, we feel the current bickering between the Labour Party and the NLC president, Wabba comes at an inopportune time and will only detract and distract us from the enormous job of edging out the old, ineffective guard of leaders who have done way more harm than good for the people of Nigeria.
The resistance from the Wabba is not surprising as we have it on good grounds that a certain former NLC President who is at the helm of affairs at one of the country’s major political parties, is strongly championing the disruptive moves by his minion(s) to stop Dr Mimiko from his victorious march to Aso Rock. This is also not shocking as the said former labour leader sees you as a major threat to his party.
Our amiable leader, we use this medium to beseech you to leave the Labour Party as we believe the ramblings will only do more harm to your – and invariably our – cause, which we believe supersedes any personal gratification, which is the fuel driving your detractors within the compromised wing of the NLC led by Ayuba Wabba.
In as much as we acknowledge your loyalty to a party you helped to build from scratch, we also implore you to seize the opportunity which the 2019 presents and continue on this victorious march.
In case you have forgotten, we haven’t lost sight of the fact that in 2009, you became the first governor to reclaim his stolen mandate after you were robbed of your victory at the Ondo gubernatorial polls three years earlier in 2006. This was after you turned down offers to contest on the platforms of the country’s two biggest political parties at the time – PDP and ACN – in order to forge a new party filled with normal, everyday Nigerians.
We have also not forgotten how you fought the powers that be – a feat we expect you to replicate n 2019 – and became governor, which eventually saw you become the second Nigerian ever to be awarded the United Nations Habitat Scroll of Honour owing to the quality of your governance and intellectual strength that rivals any global leader.
Dear sir, it is sad, but very necessary that we, your loyal supporters are forced to use this medium to call for you to quit the Labour Party and continue this our victorious quest to Aso Rock on another platform devoid of the negativity which the current one is emitting.
Signed
Brian Dennis, President
Ephraim Adiele, National Spokesperson
Boma Williams, Grassroots Mobilization Director
Ochonogor Joseph, South South Coordinator
Theophilus Agada, North Central Coordinator
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