Plateau residents are gearing up for protests in Abuja to reject President Bola Tinubu’s nomination of Mr. Cyril Tsenyil as the Managing Director of the newly established North Central Development Commission (NCDC).
The Concerned Plateau Youth Forum is leading the opposition, alleging that Tsenyil’s appointment is politically influenced and does not reflect the collective interest of the people of Plateau State.
The group’s spokesperson, Danladi Pam, urged President Tinubu to immediately withdraw the nomination, stating that it “smacks of favoritism, cronyism, and total disregard for competence and broad-based representation.”
Pam emphasized that Tsenyil’s nomination is unpopular among Plateau people and an insult to the collective sensibilities of the North Central region.According to the group, Tsenyil’s appointment appears to be influenced by Senator Simon Lalong, under whose administration Tsenyil served as Plateau State Accountant-General.
The youth forum questioned Tsenyil’s records during his tenure as accountant and emphasized the need for merit-based appointments to avoid repeating past mistakes.
The North Central Development Commission, recently established by the National Assembly, is tasked with coordinating and accelerating development in states within the region.
The group warned that proceeding with Tsenyil’s confirmation could spark broader dissent and erode public confidence in the new commission.
The Concerned Plateau Youth Forum plans to submit a formal protest letter to the National Assembly, urging them to reject Tsenyil’s confirmation.
“We are submitting a detailed petition to the National Assembly, highlighting why Mr. Tsenyil should not be confirmed. The North Central deserves better. We deserve a competent, visionary, and widely acceptable leader to steer the affairs of the Commission,” the spokesperson added.
The protesters vowed to “occupy the streets and stay until our voices are heard,” noting that the nomination would only benefit the corrupt political class and not the general interests of the people.
