A UK based non-profit, AdamStart, on Tuesday, launched an emergency fund with $10,000 to support young people in Nigeria following demand for the proscription of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
This was disclosed by CEO AdamStart, Adams Bradford, in a statement made available to Vanguard.
Bradford made the launch via his Twitter handle, @Entre_Adam.
The statement reads in part, “One of Her Majesty the Queen’s Queens Young Leaders and a fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society, tweeted, “Today, myself and http://AdamStart.com’s Africa lead Benson Ekpo have launched an emergency fund to support activism & youth initiatives countering the SARS destruction. I have pledged $10,000 today to launch the fund. Who is with me to shine these youth brighter? #EndSARS”
The statement also disclosed that already Adam’s tweet and the announcement has received over 100,000 retweets on Twitter overnight, which Adam pledged to spotlight and showcase incredible young people from the region and will fly a number of them to the UK for a special meeting next year.
In his tweet, he expressed displeasure over the alleged poor response according to Adam’s Twitter feed: “I am not happy with the UK Government’s response. If we as Commonwealth cannot do something to help our COMMON asset, youth, then international diplomacy is in the trash can. UK – I’m waiting on you too.”
The statement also made it known that Adam also has expressed displeasure at the response of the UK government and has written a letter today to Boris Johnson, Prime Minister, and former Foreign Secretary, copied to President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria, calling for rapid change.
The letter partly reads, “As someone who has worked actively in Africa on programs to develop young people and bring about further opportunities, I think it is only right that I use my platform to share my honest experiences and observations to bring about change. I do not take that platform for granted either, I have worked for it and I will use it for whatever good is sought wherever that may be.
“You will note this weekend that young people in Nigeria are unhappy and are protesting, calmly, and with purpose. In London, diasporans follow them.
“This is because of the brutality and unwarranted targeting, some of which I have been witness to, a lot of which has happened to friends and colleagues, by the SARS division of the police force.
“I am writing to enquire as to a global citizen, representing fellow humans, who have the same rights to life and opportunities as anyone else – how can we allow this to happen in the 21st century?
“You do not need me to tell you about the past. I can tell you about the future – it will be dark if we do not do anything about this. Should I have to hear my friend tell me about when he was held almost at gunpoint because he was intelligent and successful enough to have an iPhone? Do I need to be in the back of a car in Lagos with an officer interrogating a group of my friends over their looks? To me, this treatment has gone beyond lawless, it is simply inhumane.
“We all have a collective responsibility as leaders to protect each other and give hope. What are both countries doing, as international allies, members of the Commonwealth, to end this?
“I will happily share thousands of case studies of Nigerians who have gone against the circumstances they were forced into to become people the world can be proud of. I am looking forward to your response.”
It will be recalled that this is not the first time AdamStart would be lending support to youths in Nigeria after he visited the country extensively last year and got locked down in West Africa during the COVID pandemic this year.
The statement also stated that previously, AdamStart had supported more than 1,000 young people and partnering with young entrepreneurs through the ‘Know Covid-19 Nigeria’ project.
“Adam is passionate about transforming the lives of young people. His work has led him to mentor over 1,000 young people through organizations including UnLtd, Do it Trust, Virgin StartUp, Learning Initiatives for Employment, STEMNET, and the Peter Jones Foundation. Adam’s annual enterprise program ‘AdamStart’ which encourages young entrepreneurs to step forwards for Adam’s personal support with their business ideas was backed by Secretary of State for Business and Energy Greg Clarke in 2016 and the UK Prime Minister as well as leading organizations such as the British Council. It was started in 2010”, it added.
