RECENTLY a fabricated story went viral on social and traditional media alleging that the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, was booed at a Town Hall forum organised by the Federal Ministry of Information in Enugu while trying to defend President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged lopsided appointments.

The Federal Government’s renewed interest and deliberate policy on empowering Nigeria youths through skills acquisition, in partnership with INNOSON KIARA Academy, is expected to rejuvenate the economy.

Sadly many in the conservative core north remain unconvinced. For example the Arewa Consultative Forum issued a statement on the 7th of August in which they stated their total opposition to restructuring and instead of offering an olive branch of peace and understanding to its advocates who are predominantly in the south they issued the usual warnings of dire consequences if the matter is pushed too far.

“If Boko Haram kills Christians and burns down churches, we will slay Muslims and raze down mosques. We want to warn them that we, the Niger Delta youths, in this 21st century will not accept the killing of innocent Christians or the burning of churches. That if they try it in the north or any part of Nigeria, we the Niger Delta youths will not see any Muslim or mosque in the Niger Delta”- NIGER DELTA REVOLUTIONARY CRUSADERS, VANGUARD NEWSPAPER, 5th AUGUST, 2016.

If you think that the unlawful chaining of Korede Taiwo, a nine-year-old boy by his pastor father for allegedly stealing a piece of meat from his step mother’s pot of soup for about a month without food in Ogun State is a new thing in Nigeria, then you are on your own.