Foundation president denies link to `Dalung letter’

Mr Jack-Rich Tein, President of Belema Foundation, an NGO providing scholarships and social amenities to the less privileged and rural areas has denied the allegation of fomenting division in the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN).

Tein, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja, said he had only met with the leadership of the NYCN on few occasions on matters of national interest, adding that he had no hand in the letter purportedly written by NYCN.

The national leadership of NYCN had in a  publication in a national daily on Thursday, alleged that Tein was behind an open letter against the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Solomon Dalung.

Recall also that some leaders of NYCN led by the Deputy President, Abdulrahaman Agboola, on Wednesday wrote a protest letter to President Muhammadu Buhari against Dalung.

The protest letter was titled “ Open Letter to your Excellency, President Buhari, Pleading with you to Call The Minister of Youth and Sports Development to Order to Avoid the Vexation of Nigerian Youth.“

The publication on Thursday had alleged that Tien was dividing NYCN in order to protect his oil business and urged security agencies to beam searchlight on Tien to forestall breakdown of law and order.

The Thursday publication was co-signed by Mr Murtala Garba, NYCN’s President, Mr Kayode Odunga, Secretary-General and Barrister Muslaim Maigari, Assistant National Legal Adviser.

Tien told newsmen that he had no vested interest in the affairs of the council, added that he was not aspiring to become the President of NYCN or the Minster of Youth and Sports Development.

He said that, in 2017, he singlehandedly initiated peace process that united the various factions of the council and collapsed their Executive Committees into one National Transition Committee.

Jack-Rich therefore, wondered why the leadership of NYCN he had helped to unite would accuse him of dividing the council.

“ How can I divide the house I helped to unite, “ he asked.

He, however, expressed commitment to continue to support academics, sporting events and providing the necessary socio-economic support to society.

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When contacted, Garba denied neither initiating the publication nor signing it; he said he would issue a rebuttal.