By Paul Nwosu
The leaders of the youth organizations in Anambra State paid a courtesy visit to Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo on Wednesday, July 31, at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia, and stated that they will not undertake any protests whatsoever in the state. And the situation reports coming in from the major urban centres of the State including Awka the capital today, Thursday, August 1, show that they have made-good their assurance.
The leaders of Ohanaeze youths, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU) youths etc. stressed that they cannot join the nationwide protests because Anambra State under the watch of Governor Soludo is peaceful and progressing steadily such that they would not partake of any disturbances that may lead to riots and the destruction of the great infrastructural developments put in place by the government.
The youth leaders raised the issue of the futility of protests as an ill wind that will do no good to Anambra State and the Southeast geo-political zone at large.
While agreeing that the people have the right to protest in any democracy, especially if their legislators are not representing them well, the leaders of the youths maintained that Anambra State had never had it this good in the cordial relationship between the government and the people as exemplified in the Soludo administration.
The informed youth leaders cited the instance of the civil war in which many lives were lost and the entire Igboland was left in utter devastation and destruction.
The youths would therefore not partake in any uprising that will end up leading to further marginalization of the zone and her people.
“We are tired of being targeted as the scapegoats of anything that goes wrong in Nigeria by our compatriots from the other geo-political zones,” the youth leaders chorused as one.
For them, Igboland still smarts from the civil war stigma as the people are yet to be fully reintegrated in Nigeria more than 50 years after the war.
For the youths, a situation where Igbo businesses and properties scattered all over the country are always targeted for destruction in every riot should not be encouraged by them through joining the protests.
The leaders insisted that they are more interested in deploying their energies to building a peaceful and prosperous homeland as espoused by Governor Soludo.
They praised Governor Soludo for always listening to their views and ensuring that Anambra State continues to shows the light for other states to follow.
They pleaded with the Federal Government to strive to fix the economy and put an end to the prevalent hardship and hunger.
In the end, it was a visibly satisfied Governor Soludo that took pictures with the visiting leaders of the youth’s groups in Anambra State.
Sir Paul Nwosu is Commissioner for Information, Anambra State.
