DSS invites youth leader over planned protest at Abuja airport

The National President of the Nigeria Youth Union, Comrade Chinonso Obasi, has been summoned by the Department of State Service (DSS) for questioning in connection with the union’s suspended rally at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The demonstration was staged by the organization in order to interrupt official airport operations. Obasi, along with other youth leaders involved in the planned act, was summoned.

Obasi, along with other youth leaders involved in the planned act, was summoned.

The planned action was reportedly prompted by the inability of relevant authorities, especially the leadership of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), to respond to their demand for better and more effective PHCs in Nigeria. 

Chinonso Obasi, the group’s leader and the National President of NYU, confirmed to newsmen on Wednesday that he had been invited by the DSS and that he had made plans to be at the DSS headquarters on Wednesday morning to honor the invitation.

“Our initial plan was to shut down the airport this morning (Wednesday) but that has been put on hold because of the DSS invitation. The meeting with DSS has been scheduled for this morning. Our next line of action will be communicated after our meeting with the DSS. 

“We won’t relent until we see things change. Over 1,000 comrades are already in Abuja to participate in the planned which will help us register their discontent with the situation of public healthcare facilities in Nigeria, and we are determined to continue until we effect the needed changes so that Nigerians, mostly poor people at the rural areas can get basic health care services at the PHCs,”he said.

He recalled that in February, hundreds of youths shut down the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) headquarters for a few hours to protest the poor state of Nigeria’s health care system, especially the primary health care centers.

A few weeks later, the youths took similar action and made a submission to the headquarters of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to express their dissatisfaction with the poor condition of PHCs in Nigeria.

The peaceful protest, according to Obasi, was staged to send a message to governors and local government chairmen about the need to use the COVID-19 pandemic to revive PHCs, which would be more beneficial to rural communities.

He said: “We have privileged information from federal ministry of health that the decision to revive the PHCs is on the governor and local government administration because the health is on the concurrent list. “But we are deeply pained and grossly disenchanted that some State Governors are totally dictating what happens at the local government level with particular emphasis on directly controlling and pocketing a great chunk of local government funds.”