The Community Auxiliary Development for Effective Transformation Network (CADETN) on Monday rose in stout defence of the guard of honour of the son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Seyi Tinubu, saying it was part of the organisation’s standard protocol to welcome dignitaries to its events.
A viral video of Seyi Tinubu inspecting a Guard of Honour has drawn criticism from sections of the public with former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, calling for investigation into the reported military honours given to the President’s son.
Atiku described the gesture as an “anomaly” and a “serious breach of military tradition.”
CADETN, in a statement by the Corps Commander, Josh Fatoye, explained that the gesture was not exclusive to the son of the President, Seyi Tinubu, stating that the guard of honour, which took place at the CityBoy Youth Empowerment Program in Ogun State, was also extended to other dignitaries at the event.
He said the dignitaries included the Personal Assistant to the President on Special Duties, the Minister of Youth Development, the Minister of Digital Economy, and the Senior Special Assistants to the President on Citizenship & Leadership, as well as Digital Communications and New Media.
According to the statement by the group: “As a youth uniformed volunteer organization, we want to set the record straight and clear misconceptions about the Guard of Honour. It is of note that the guard of Honour was used to welcome dignitaries to the event as it is a youth empowerment programme and the organisation is a youth organisation.
“The guard also honoured other dignitaries like the PA to the President on Special Duties as the program played host to many dignitaries like the Minister of Youth Development, Minister of Digital Economy, SSA to the President on Citizenship & Leadership, SSA to the President on Digital Comm & New Media, CoS to Ogun State Governor and so many other dignitaries that graced the occasion This was not exclusive to Seyi Tinubu.”
Fatoye further stated that the CADETN operates as a youth-focused uniformed voluntary organisation, similar to Man O’ War and Peace Corps, and is neither a military outfit nor affiliated with the Armed Forces.
He added: “The CADETN is a youth uniformed organization and not a military outfit and also not in any way affiliated to the military or Armed Forces as been claimed by some mischief makers. The organization is a voluntary organisation that operates like the likes of Man O War, Peace Corps, Royal Ambassador, Man of Order, WAI Brigade and other relevant uniformed voluntary organisations.“
The Corps Commander also dismissed claims of using military paraphernalia or live ammunition as “false and misleading.
“We would like to state categorically that no ammunition was used and no military paraphernalia was used during the guard of Honour as peddled by critics. The guard of Honour was mounted using wooden crafted dummy rifles as it is practised among other uniform organizations. Any weapon seen in the video is that of the security details of the dignitaries and not that of the organisation.”
