THE Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uchechukwu Ogah, has advised Igbo youths to shun acts capable of plunging the nation into another war.
Ogah gave the advice while addressing the people of Abia State during a special non-partisan stakeholders’ town hall meeting in Umuahia on Monday.
He explained that the meeting was convened at the instance of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
The minister said, “No war is ever won by emotion.”
Ogah also appealed to the Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, “to go for an inclusive government” in order to unite the people of the state.
Also speaking on the occasion, the member representing the Bende Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, commended northern Muslims for the prevailing peace in their various mosques located within the state in spite of the looting of public and private property in the South.
Calling for more avenues to empower the youths, Kalu urged the state government and public-spirited individuals to work together to revive the industries in the state to provide employment to the growing number of unemployed people in the state.
He also enjoined politicians, especially those holding elective offices to replicate his constituency security system, which had so far provided employment for over 10,000 youths.
In his address, the Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly, Chinedum Orji, urged all political appointees to empower youths in their areas of jurisdiction.
Some of the stakeholders at the event are the Chairman, Abia Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Joseph Nwabekee; the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Apostle Emmanuel Agomoh; the Chairman, Northern Community, Alhaji Sariki Yaro Danladi; NANS representative, Frank Eme Orji, as well as the representative of the Student Union Government President, John Nwakanma.
Earlier in his address, the state Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, appealed to all the stakeholders to deploy everything within their power to prevail on the youth to desist from wanton destruction of public and private property, noting that as government, his administration was aware of their grievances and had initiated steps to tackle them.
