Fresh details have emerged on how Anambra Governor, Charles Soludo averted protest in the state, at a time when the #EndBadGovernance protesters destroyed several government facilities across the country.
Convener of Youths Earnestly Support Soludo (YESS), a political pressure group, Dr Nelson Omenugha who is special adviser to the governor on youth Empowerment stated this during an Empowerment workshop organized by the group in Awka, the state capital, on Sunday.
The group which was formerly known as Youths Earnestly Seek Soludo was at the forefront of urging Anambra governor to vie for the governorship position, but later transformed into Youths Earnestly Support Soludo after the victory of Governor Soludo.
Omenugha said: “What we are doing today is a youth empowerment programme for our members. In this workshop, we have lined up several forms of empowerment for youths as a means of taking them off the streets and keeping them busy.
“We also have two members who just came back from a YESS-sponsored trip to China, who will be speaking to us about mushroom farming. We hope to get members from here who will form a cooperative and farm mushroom. We will sponsor them as a means of keeping our youth busy.
“That is the reason there is no protest in Anambra today. There was no protest in Anambra because we met the various youth groups. We told them if they protest and nothing happens, what have you achieved?
“When I was SUG president of Unizik, I dissuaded protest because if you protest and other nefarious elements take advantage and destroy things, you will still be the one to pay and at the same time you will be worse off than you were before the protest.
“That was why we intentionally met with youths before the commencement of the protest to tell them all these. The governor in his wisdom has done well to empower youths in various ways, and today, our youths are useful and do not have time for any protest.“There are many programmes which the governor has used to empower youths. The one youth two skills programme has given youths the opportunity to be useful. The farm to feed programme will further keep more youths busy, so we are not expecting any protest here because our youths are busy and Soludo has empowered them.”
The event which features the distribution of palm trees to 100 youths also has in attendance the State Commissioner for Youth Development Mr Patrick Agha-Mba, the Transition Committee Chairman of Awka North Council Area, Hon ThankGod Anagor, and youths across the 21 local government areas of the state.