Akwa Ibom youths have unanimously declared their support for the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Udom Emmanuel, by calling on him to resign and contest as governor in the forthcoming 2015 election in order to consolidate and sustain the ongoing uncommon transformation of the present administration of the present administration led by Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio.
The youths made the declaration during the Youth Delegate Converge 2014, held at the Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio Hall, Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo, Friday.
Setting the tone for the event with the theme “Youth and Capacity Building: Getting It Right This Time”, the chief convener of the event, Prince Idongesit Ituen, said the gathering was for Akwa Ibom youths to make their desires known by government as the election year was by the corner, saying that there would have been no better time than now.
Ituen, a former chairman in Itu Local Government Area maintained that without the youths there will be no future and called on the youths to lay a solid foundation for a sustainable future through industrialization, pointing out that Gov. Akpabio has infrastructurally turned around the fortunes of the state and expressed the need for its sustainability.
The chief convener stressed that the unanimous decision by the youths to mandate Udom to resign and contest as governor was borne out of their conviction that with his wealth of experience, connection, contact and credibility, youths in the state will be relevant, noting that the time has come for Akwa Ibom youths to rally round and support a man that has what it takes to develop them and free them from slavery irrespective of their constituencies.
Giving a pep talk, Engr. Ufot Ebong, said the future of any state was dependent on the youths and called on them not toil with it but rather take their destiny in their hands.
Ebong who is also a retired senior staff of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), stated that there was huge unemployment rate in the state not because Gov. Akpabio has not done well, but because the youths are not creative and are not willing to venture into entrepreneurial skill acquisition like carpentry, tailoring, welding among others and appealed to them to change their mindset as these skill could also put food on their table.
He further stressed the need for an industrial base in Akwa Ibom to empower the youths and called on them to elect a leader and successor that will look at industrialization and capacity building, noting that investment was based on the quality of leadership that is well known in the investment world.
Ebong advised them to elect a prudent leader that would invest on targeted areas that will positively affect the lives of all Akwa Ibom people, adding that a purposeful leader with pedigree was what the state needed now and charged the youths to play a vital role in the selection of a good leadership in the state.
In their goodwill messages, youth leaders from the 10 Federal Constituencies in the state including Justin Ekong, Uyo, Barr. Mfon Udeme, Ibiono Ibom, Frank Archibong, Eket and Barr Abasiono Udomfu, Ukanafun. Others include Solomon Effiong, Oron, Toby Aganin, Ikot Abasi, Anthony Roberth, Abak, Umoh, Ikono, Ukpong Morgan, Etinan, Barr. Augustine Etim, Ikot Ekpene and Unwana John all expressed their satisfaction that Akwa Ibom youths have demonstrated their resolve that Udom was right and would sustain their capacity building in the state. They said that the state needed a man with proven integrity that would create employment for the youths.
The youth coordinator for Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency, Barr Mfon Udeme said the decision to call for the immediate resignation of Udom Emmanuel was to enable him to be rightly disposed to a call for higher duty as the governor of the state come 2015. He stated: “We demand that Udom (should) resign and contest. We do not want him to wait any longer. The time is now. Of course, it is a known fact that Udom is the best candidate for 2015 governorship election. He is a candidate of the youths, elders and women.”
In an interaction with newsmen, the state coordinator, Youth Delegates and Itu Chapter Coordinator of Akwa Ibom Consolidated Alliance (ACA), Prince Idongesit Ituen noted that the youths of the state were eager to see the Secretary to the State Government in the gubernatorial race, hence their demand for him to resign and contest.
Prince Ituen, who extolled Udom Emmanuel for his ingenuity in service to the state, stated emphatically that his experience and qualities have him ahead of other aspirants for the top job.
He added: “I must confess that I am enveloped with job over what I have seen here today. The mammoth crowd of the youth has demonstrated their resolve to see a better Akwa Ibom. The youths know that it is only Udom that could provide capacity building and empowerment to the teeming youths. Governor Akpabio has put in place infrastructural development; all we need now is a man who has the capacity to create employment and that man is Udom Emmanuel.
“So much time has been spent and the people of the state are yearning for Mr. Emmanuel to declare and contest. The state needs trustworthy man. We don’t need to mention his experience in Zenith Bank. He has the capacity to turn this state to industrialized state. This has made all the youth leaders from the 10 federal constituencies to put things in place to mobilize more people for Udom.
The former transition chairman, Itu Local Government Council also called on the people of the state to rally around Udom Emmanuel expressing optimistic about his emergence as the next governor of the state.
Highpoint of the event was a resolution/motion moved by Unyime Ekanem, a former Councillor in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area and seconded by Miss Nsisong Eyo Umoh, in solidarity for Udom come 2015.
