The Arewa Consultative Youth Movement (AYM) has thrown its weight behind mounting national demands for a comprehensive forensic investigation into the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund (RHIDF).
Mounting Pressure for Transparency
In a strongly-worded statement released on Saturday, the prominent Northern youth group declared that the slew of allegations concerning the opaque management of taxpayer funds has severely eroded public confidence. The AYM warned that the situation is now too grave for the government to overlook.
AYM President, Kabiru Yusuf, stated that the movement is aligning with civil society organisations, federal lawmakers, and various advocacy coalitions. These groups have for weeks raised serious questions about financial decisions related to the disbursement of crucial national revenue streams.
"The issues raised are not ordinary," Yusuf emphasized. "They touch directly on transparency, public trust, and the integrity of our national revenue system."
A Call for the FIRS Chairman to Step Aside
While noting that the allegations remain unproven, Yusuf stressed their severity warrants an immediate and sweeping forensic audit by relevant anti-corruption agencies and oversight bodies. He insisted that accountability must never be selective, especially for an agency as pivotal to Nigeria's fiscal health as the FIRS.
A key condition set by the group is the temporary stepping aside of the FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji. The AYM argued this is a standard democratic practice to ensure a credible and uncontaminated investigation.
"For an investigation to be credible and free of contamination, the FIRS chairman must step aside temporarily," Yusuf said. "This is not an assumption of guilt—it is the standard expected in every democracy that values accountability."
Threat of Escalated Action and National Protest
The youth movement cautioned that continued silence or hesitation from authorities would only deepen public suspicion and undermine the government's stated anti-corruption stance. As a concrete step, the AYM announced its plan to join a national action scheduled for December 15, being organized by other pro-accountability coalitions.
Yusuf added that following further consultations, the Arewa Youth Movement would not hesitate to issue a formal vote of no confidence if the government fails to take decisive steps toward the forensic review of both FIRS and RHIDF operations.
"We cannot afford institutions that appear shielded from scrutiny," the group's statement declared. "Nigeria deserves leaders who reinforce public trust, not those whose actions raise fundamental questions."
The AYM reiterated its commitment to the national interest, concluding that both the North and the entire country stand to benefit when public institutions operate above board and free from suspicion.
