Tuface, PSquare, others electrify youths at NYPAC concert

An estimated five hundred thousand youths from all walks of life and across the federation attended the Nigerian Youths for Peace and Anti-Corruption Concert, (NYPAC) 2010. The all-night outing featured top entertainers including Tuface Idibia, PSquare, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Timaya, Bracket, 9ice, MI,  Seyi Law, I Go Die, Bovi, Hellen Paul, Buchi, and a host […]

An estimated five hundred thousand youths from all walks of life and across the federation attended the Nigerian Youths for Peace and Anti-Corruption Concert, (NYPAC) 2010. The all-night outing featured top entertainers including Tuface Idibia, PSquare, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Timaya, Bracket, 9ice, MI,  Seyi Law, I Go Die, Bovi, Hellen Paul, Buchi, and a host of others.

The concert which was aimed at sensitizing youths on the need to shun malpractices, violence, corruption, and other societal ills was organised by the Global Network for Peace and Anti-Corruption (GNPAI), an Abuja-based non-governmental organisation. According to Vera Johnson, the GNPAI founder the level of corruption and lack of peace, especially among the youths in the country has reached a crescendo height, which requires a more drastic and pragmatic forum like NYPAC to address it.

Johnson charged the youths to shun violence and embrace peace as she called on government to support peace concerts at all levels in the country, stating that other countries where similar on-going restiveness among the Nigeria youths had occurred, a peace concert had helped in dousing tension in the air. She used the occasion to call for support for other projects of the organisation, especially the building of a rehab centre for miscreants, released prisoners, school dropouts, and the likes.

The event began penultimate Thursday on a lighter note with a gala night reception at Kryxtal Lounge for the star artistes billed to perform at the event. Tuface Idibia who was virtually the toast of the gala-night expressed his delight for the event.

The d-day was a sharp contrast to the gala-night. Though the event began on a very light note as the event could not take off effectively due to the heavy evening downpour but things suddenly changed when the rains stopped. Like bees after a honey jar, crowd of youths began to troop in their thousands to the venue.

The power-packed night saw all adjoining roads to Eagle Square were jam-packed with vehicles as youths rushed to catch the clips of the night. Upcoming artistes and Abuja-based musicians opened the event with performances as the tempo of the night gradually began to rise when the leading artistes mounted the stage. First to perform among them was Bracket followed by Buchi, Bovi and then 9ice, who alongside Gordon flew into the country that evening from London where they had gone to perform at the AY Live London show.

The mammoth crowd savoured the well-packaged event all through the night as the artistes filed out endlessly. Remarkably, the standing crowd waited till the wee hours of the morning for the last act of the day, PSquare. The high-point of the event was when the duo of Tuface Idibia and PSquare made a generous appeal to the youths to shun corruption and embrace peace. It was soulful and touching. Tuface charged the youths to go all out and ensure they register and vote in the forthcoming general elections. He said the era of sit-down and look has come and gone, adding that the youths must be charged to take their destiny in their hands. “Naija youths, make we embrace peace and shun corruption; this is the time and we must make things happen peacefully.”

The FCT Minister of State, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd), declared the event formally opened as he commended the timeliness of the event and extolled the effort and vision of GNPAI, stating that NYPAC, 2010 has blazed the trail and will be remembered in history as the first peace concert after the bomb blast mishap. He pledged that the FCT government will support NYPAC in the best way it could. He said, “I want to state that FCT administration will give every support that is required to move this laudable initiative forward. The crusade for peace and anti-corruption must be supported.”

Also present was human rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo, who charged the crowd on the need for vigilance and for them not to allow themselves to be used negatively by politicians in the forthcoming elections. Keyamo advised them to cultivate the habit of one-man, one-vote during the elections, stating that Nigerian leaders have done the country more harm than good. Speaking extempore, the self-styled lawyer said, “My people, before I go talk to una, let me start by talking to our leaders wey put us for this state wey we they so. Our leaders must change and na this election wey dey come we must ensure credible person gets there.”