An Enugu youth leader, Comrade Onyeabochukwu Christian has declared that the youths will play a prominent role in deciding the next Governor of the State in 2023.
Onyeabochukwu, who is the Coordinator, Enugu Youth Forum, EYF, said this during the inauguration of the group in Enugu on Thursday.
He said time had gone when the youths were merely seen as tools in the hands of desperate politicians.
He noted that as youths, “it would appear that there is no tomorrow for us. The reason for this assertion is that Nigeria and even our own political space appears to be overwhelmed by elite circulation in power.
“Not minding the dire consequences of an unharnessed youth population, our leaders seem satisfied with using the youths as carnon fodders. On our side, we seem to be comfortable with the politics of tokenism and lending ourselves in servitude.”
Commenting on the 2023 guber election in Enugu State, the youth leader said “while some are fixated on zoning, others are of the opinion that since the three senatorial zones have taken their turns at the governorship, it is now time for us to identify a credible person irrespective of zone or cultural area to take up the reins of leadership of this State.
‘Whichever way this debate goes, you can be rest assured that Enugu State youths must have a stake in deciding what happens.
“The challenges we face today are no respecter of senatorial or cultural zones. These challenges do not speak any particular Enugu dialect, nor do they reside in any local government, senatorial or cultural zone.
“While our economy can be said to have witnessed significant growth in the last couple of years, for which we are grateful to the State Governor, I am convinced that we can do better. We must join hands together in proffering solutions to these challenges.”
In a remark at the event, Comrade Henry Atigwe of the National Youth Council of Nigeria urged the youths to always take serving politicians to task before renewing their mandates.
“Those who have not done well should be told so and dropped, not a situation where they will come during election and give peanuts to the youths and we will start clapping for them, while they collect our future.
“We are all leaders of today not tomorrow again,” he declared.
Others inaugurated alongside Onyeabochukwu are Engr. Paul Ogueche, Assistant Coordinator General, Ngwu Chukwuebuka, Secretary General, Engr. Ignatius Madueke, Coordinator West, Hon. Mba Chukwuemeka, Coordinator North, Agu Johnpaul, Coordinator East, among others.
