By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
NATIONAL
The National Youth Council Chairperson, Jacob Eyeru has been given a five day ultimatum to apologize to the youth fraternity over abuse of office.
“We demand for a public apology from Jacob Eyeru and his clique of YYM to the young people of Uganda for disrespecting and betraying his own generation by telling us to support President Museveni who has failed this country. We have given him five working days to apologize,” the youth said.
This was during a joint presser between the FDC youth League and JEEMA Youth League leaders on Wednesday 5th June, 2024 at Najjanankumbi.
The accusations follow Eyeru’s letter to IGP Abbas Byakagaba informing him of the upcoming cross country NRM youth mobilization drives. According to the youth, Eyeru is using his powers as the NYC chairperson to promote the activities of NRM.
Francis Adepo, the National Youth chairperson of the FDC says that it is wrong for Eyeru to run YYM initiative activities under guise of the NYC because it is not a branch of NRM. He says the council should serve the interests of all young Ugandans with impartiality despite their political beliefs.
“We are concerned because NYC receives taxpayer’s money and therefore the Chairperson can’t be involved in such bogus activities of praising an old man that the youth are tired of,” said Adepo.
On the other hand, Musanje Haroona, the chairperson of JEEMA Youth League asked Eyeru and the YYM to stop manipulating the youth into dubious NRM projects such as the Patriotic League of Uganda, Mzee Tulumbe 2026 noting that Museveni is too old to run the country effectively.
He disclosed that they’re working closely with other youth leagues from sister political parties and other youth blocks across the country to fight for their political rights and block Eyeru’s unlawful activities.
The FDC National Youth Treasurer, Mercy Alupo also the hopeful Bukedea district Woman member of parliament 2026/31 said Eyeru has largely betrayed the youth in the struggle involving them into partisan activities. She asked youth across the country to stand up on their feet and join fight against his unscrupulous activities.
“You have betrayed our generation and we are not going to watch it crumble. We are joining efforts and we have stood up. This is the time and we have begun. We are not going to watch everything go astray and keep quiet. The only power we have is our voice and we are going to use our power to attain our achievements as young people,” Alupo warned.
In an interview with Parrots Media, the NYC chairperson Jacob Eyeru said he will neither stop running activities of YYM nor apologize as demanded by the two groups.
“They are in no position to give ultimatums on our political choice, I have seen that they have problems with YYM, PLU, Tova Ku Main, basically, anything that supports President Museveni. Tell them we shall not stop and have no apology to give them,” said Eyeru
He added, “The issue of us as YYM supporting an Old and tired President Museveni should be left to choice. Those youth could only hold that Press Conference because of the freedom guaranteed under President Museveni’s leadership. So YYM an initiative in the NRM Youth League is helping them guarantee the ability to do so by continuing like this into the future.”
