Angry youths from the
southern senatorial districts of Cross River State have carpeted some politicians, who they claimed, are stockpiling dangerous weapons against 2015 elections, urging them to keep their weapons to themselves as there are not ready to die for any over ambitious politician again. Addressing a mammoth crowd at a special town hall meeting with a theme “That We May Be One” Director General of Coalition of Political Support Groups, Edet Asia said that “it is true that older men declare war for younger men to fight and die. We shall not fight unnecessary war. If you want violence, you and your children must bear arms and be at battle front.”
“We shall resist any attempt by any over-zealous politicians whose stock in trade is luring youth to spark up violent during electioneering period,” he said.
Earlier in their speech, the Special Assistant to Governor Imoke on Political Affairs, Emmanuel Iro-bar, and youth leader, Ekpenyong Akiba, called on youths to “emulate the kind of politics played by Senator Bassey Otu and Governor Imoke,” which they described as “violence-free politics of openness and service,” adding “this has stood Imoke and Bassey as genius whom if they have opportunity can afford to send them 100 times to represent them.”
He posited, “instead of giving you guns to fight his political opponents, he empowers you to fulfill your destiny; instead of giving you weapons to kill and destroy, he initiates programmes to help youths, women and the poor to stand on their feet economically.”
The duo called on youths in the country to shun violent behaviours and characters that would be inimical to national development “wise up and stop being used by some greedy politicians to achieve their selfish aims, thereby destroying your destiny and sending you to early graves.”
In his remarks, Hon. Joseph Bassey, member for Calabar South II State Constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly, said that he believed that with the determination of the youths to say no to every form of inducement which could lead to election violence, the 2015 election would be very peaceful as against predictions of doom and bloodshed. In a communiqué signed by Edet Asia, Chairman of Coalition of Political Groups, and Awat Caleb, Chairman of Youth Success Institute, the youths pledged to work only with visionary leaders who shall promote peace and progress.
Cross section of Route to School Campaign participants in a group photograph, during the flag off of the event organised by Shell Petroluem Development Company at St Andrew’s State School, Port Harcourt last Wednesday.
