From Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti.

“Youths are the future leaders; but as tomorrow and the future will forever remain evasive, my government will constructively engage them to provide responsible and responsive future leadership, so as to phase out their use for thuggery by politicians

This assertion was made by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate and former Ekiti State governor, Asiwaju Segun Oni, on Tuesday, when Igbo youths, under the umbrella of Igbo Youths In Ekiti, paid him a solidarity visit at his campaign office in Ado-Ekiti.

The former governor berated the use of youths for thuggery during the campaign and election periods by politicians, saying no politician ever engaged their biological children in criminal activities, “but they go for other people’s children because they are disadvantaged

“I initiated programmes, during my first term administration, engaging the youth constructively and giving them better orientation; but these were jettisoned by my successors. I will go back to them so as to make thuggery among the youths an unprofitable venture,” he added.

According to a statement made available to journalists by the spokesman of a pro-Oni platform, Ekiti Build Back Better (EBBB), Idowu Adelusi, in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, Oni, who was represented by his running mate, Otunba Ladi Owolabi, said “if I win in the June 18 governorship election, I will provide training and skill acquisition programmes for youths, to reduce unemployment.

“I will encourage self-employment, provide the enabling environment and collaborate with financial institutions to provide entrepreneurial take-off for youths through granting of small scale loans.

“I will provide employment for the youth, both in the civil service and in politics, in order to involve them in the decision-making process, for tomorrow’s leadership cultivation.”

The governorship running mate, Owolabi, in his welcome address, thanked the visitors, assuring them that the SDP government, under Oni, would be responsible and responsive.

He recalled that during the civil war, the late Ado-Ekiti-based business mogul, Papa Okoli, left Ekiti for his home town and that when he returned, he met his properties intact. “This is to demonstrate the Omoluabi ethos and accommodating spirit in the Elite people. All other ethnic groups living and working in Ekiti are enjoying their stay and their businesses blossoming.

“I am appealing to the Igbo, Hausa, Ibibio, Ebira, Idoma, Igede, the Fulani and others to collect their voter’s cards to vote for Asiwaju Segun Oni as your governor.

“The achievement of Oni during his first term administration has, to date, remained unsurpassed. He will do more and provide the enabling environment for your businesses to thrive.”

The President-General of Igbo Youths in Ekiti, Mr Ifeanyi Okon, who led the delegation comprising all the leaders from the 16 local government areas of the state, appreciated Oni for honouring the invitation to the inauguration of their society’s new state executive which took place recently, saying that his presence convinced the Igbo youths in Ekiti that he was a leader and candidate to give their votes in the June 18 election. He promised to mobilise the entire Igbo community in Ekiti on the election day to vote for Oni and the SDP.

Similarly, the group’s Secretary, Mr Isaac Obasi, and the Organising Secretary, Comrade Cosmas Eze, said since Oni joined the SDP, the party had become popular and a household name in Ekiti, adding that Igbo youths in Ekiti were marvelled by the large army of supporters shouting “give us Oni” in all the nooks and crannies of the state.