About six political groups in Akwa Ibom State have risen against what they called government negligence on youth investment for over seven years in the state.
They, therefore, sought a youth governor for 2023 in the person of Rt Hon Onofiok Luke to close the gap, saying that the state has suffered from lack of investment in the youth since the inception of the current administration.
This was contained in a joint communique issued to journalists in Uyo on Monday which was signed by the leaders of the groups namely: Dr Akwaowo Akpan, Social Justice Movement (SJM); Engr Edet Oton, Democratic Alternative (DA); Comrade Courage Udo, Akwa Ibom Students Congress (AKSC); Rev Andy Micheal, Not Too Young To Lead Parliament (NTYLP); Mr Sunday Ibanga, Political Action Initiatives (PAI); Chief Udo Inyangekpe, Maintaining Peace From Justice Movement (MPJM).
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The groups said having watched the political activities as they unfold in the state, they have come to a conclusion of not been overwhelmed by the ‘Government House theatrics” of endorsement, saying that among the aspirants who have so far declared their gubernatorial ambition for 2023, only Luke, who was the former Speaker of the State House of Assembly knows what lies ahead as regards to how to pragmatically re-energise the dead social sector of the economy.
The groups added, “We urge all Akwa Ibomites of good conscience to reject the attempted imposition of leadership that will enable the present administration to continue to rule by proxy while still inflicting the state with even more hardship and rhetorics.
“The state has suffered from lack of investment in the youth for seven years. And nobody including those grandstanding on the platform of anointing and executive endorsement, appears to know the real problems of this state beside paying lip services, except Rt. Hon Onofiok Luke, who has been with the poor, with high and mighty and still remembers that there is serious hunger in the streets of Akwa Ibom State.
“Since he who keeps silence in the face of tyranny, as is currently happening in this state, is dead, like Wole Soyinka once said, we need to be alive to our responsibilities as citizens. We enjoin all right-thinking members of the society in Akwa Ibom State to support someone who knows all the socio-political and geo-economic nooks and crannies of this state and how to solve their segment-specific problems.
“We no longer want an assumed elitist administration led by foreign indigenes with international emails but who only know Uyo and their villages, because they are too proud to come down to our level; too clean to enter the streets.”
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