As the 2019 General Elections draw near. Executive Governor of Gombe
State, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo, has warned young people to be wary of
politicians who delight in using them as political thugs to achieve
selfish interests.
Governor Dankwambo gave the charge in Gombe, the state capital, during
the official opening ceremony of National Unity Convention of the
National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN).
Represented by his Deputy, Mr. Charles Iliya, the Governor also
advised the youths to eschew religious, ethnic, or political violence
in the coming general elections, urging them to take advantage of the
Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill and seek elective positions rather than
being used as thugs.
“I will like to call on the youth of this great nation, to be wary of
politicians who took delight in using them as political thugs to
achieve their political goal, only to dump them when they achieve
their aims.
“Be warned therefore, even as preparation for the 2019 elections is
drawing near. I challenge you also to take full advantage of the
‘Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill’ that has just been signed into law by
being contestants into various elective political positions.
“You should also eschew violence of whatever nature, be it religious,
ethnic, regional or political, to enable us achieve a Sustainable
National Unity and Development”, Dankwambo said.
The youthful Governor also called on political elites to start seeing
Nigerian youths as “reservoir of energy, which if properly harnessed,
can transform into veritable tools for development”, and not as tools
for election malpractices.
On his part, the Minister of Sports and Youths Development, Barr.
Solomon Dalung, acknowledged the fact that the NYCN was going to hold
a successful congress since the last one in Abuja 2008, due to
factions.
The Minister who was represented by the Director, Education and Youth
Development, Mrs Bakari Girei, said it is only when United, that the
youths can take their rightful position in the society.
Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of Board of Trustees of NYCN, Amb.
(Dr.) Dickson Akoh, advised the delegates to carefully elect young
people that would ensure stability in the council and attract
international collaborations.
Akoh lamented the inability of NYCN to hold successful convention
since 2010, saying, the board under him, with the cooperation of the
federal government and stakeholders, has made everything humanly
possible “to break the jinx”, by midwifing a befitting unity congress
billed to hold in Gombe Saturday.
Aside promising a free and fair election, the Board chairman assured
that the new leadership of the council shall be youths within the ages
of 18 and 35.
In their separate remarks, the Commissioner of Youth Empowerment in
Gombe State, Mallam Faruk Yarma; former Senior Special Assistant to
President Goodkuck Jonathan on Youths and Students Matters, Jude
Imakwe and the outgoing President of NYCN, Mayor Enujeko; assured the
delegates and stakeholders of peaceful and transparent process.
The trio urged leadership of the Youth Council to engage in massive
sensitisation of young people across the country to encourage them to
be actively involved in youth council activities, stressing that the
youth must intensive efforts to collect their Permanent Voters Card
(PVC) ahead of 2019 general elections.
Highlight of the ceremony include, the conferment of ‘Pillar of
Nigerian Youth’ award and ‘Life Patron’ of the National Youth Council
of Nigeria on Gombe state Governor, by the Board of the Council, which
were also endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports
Development.