By Chinedu Amede
A traditional youth leader of Umusadege community in Utagba-Ogbe Kingdom, Kwale, Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Delta State, Hon. Henry Ejechi, has admonished his fellow Ndokwa youths to rise up to their challenges as the expected leaders and elders of tommorow.
Ejechi, an ex councilor, was reacting to what he described as wavering and dependence disposition of some of the youth “ Especially on Politics”.
The youth leader frowned at a situation in which the youths were easily swayed of their conscience by selfish politicians through monetary enticement, leading to campaigns of calumny, stigmatization and hate speeches against their community and political leaders.
Speaking on the recent electricity protest by some Ndokwa youths in Utagba-Ogbe, he noted that it was rightful to agitate for electrification of the area, pointing out that the issues of Independent Power Plant (IPP) was a responsibility of the federal government, not for the Delta State Government
“For clarity, the electricity protest was not targeted against the state government, it was aimed at drawing the attention of the federal government”, the youth leader explained.
Ejechi advised Ndokwa youths against liability life style and urged them to always engage in meaningful and profitable venture that would make them self- reliant and self- made in order to withstand the challenging tides of the time and impact positively on others. “They should not allow the government or the politicians to do everything for them”, he added.
He further noted that some oil exploration companies operating within the area had failed in their corporate social responsibilities to their host communities, alleging a “Divide and Rule” tactics, which, he said, had fueled disunity among their host communities. “These oil companies should complement the government’s efforts in making lives more meaningful to the people, especially among indigenes of their host communities. This should be in the forms of jobs creation, skills acquisition trainings and above all the raging issues of electrification”, he said .
