31 Akwa Ibom PDP youth leaders storm party Secretariat in Uyo, demand improved welfare
_… party Chairman calls for calm_
By Our Reporter
Youth leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, across the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom State, on Monday, stormed the state secretariat of the party to demand for improved welfare packages for themselves.
In a peaceful protest, the youths, acting under the aegis of Forum of PDP Chapter Youth Leaders,Akwa Ibom State Chapter, were at the party’s secretariat in Uyo to register their displeasure over what they described as the poor treatment of PDP youth leaders in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Comrade Peter Eyo, the Abak Chapter Youth Leader of the party, said that the 31 Chapter Youth Leaders have been grossly marginalized in the affairs of the state, and relegated to the background despite being active mobilizers during party activities and elections.
“Prior to the last party congress, chapter youth leaders of the PDP were paid stipends synonymous with the current minimum wage. This was later stopped until when the governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, visited the party and promised to look into the welfare of the party, the payments later commenced but was drastically slashed”, Eyo said.
According to the youth leaders, part of their grievances also stemmed from the attitude of government functionaries who would prefer to work with other youth bodies such as the Youth Caucus, Dakkada Youths, Village Youths, Youths Council and even Christian Youths during official state functions but would not recognize the PDP youth leaders.
Eyo said: “Even during the last PDP zonal convention which held in PortHarcourt, Rivers State, PDP Youth Leaders were not accommodated. Instead, other youth structures in the state were carried along and sponsored to the occasion which was strictly a party affair.
“We channeled out complaints to the state PDP Youth Leader, Comrade Efremfon Umoh, who later took the matter up with Comr. Aniefiok Iwa-Udofia, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Matters which has not yielded any positive result.
“The governor, had during his last visit to the party, promised to strengthen the party and award contracts to youth leaders in the state through the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating jobs. Up till now, we’ve not seen anything.
“Rather, jobs were given to other youth bodies in the state. To make matters worse, we have it on good authority that Inter-Ministerial jobs were given out to youth leaders in some other formation and huge amount of money was paid out recently to over 25 youths in each of the local government areas of the state. But we were sidelined, irrespective of the fact that party is supreme as it’s commonly said”.
In their demands, the youth leaders appealed to the state Chairman of the party, Elder Aniekan Akpan, to channel their grievances to the governor and the party leadership for the contending issues to be addressed, as other youths at the ward levels are looking up to them for direction and succor.
“We want Governor Udom Emmanuel to keep to his promise of giving out Inter-Ministerial jobs to members of the party at the State, Chapter and Ward levels.
“We humbly plead our amiable governor to facilitate the movement of youth leaders across the 31 local government areas of the state, who are also statutory delegates, to Abuja so that we can participate fully in the forthcoming national convention.
“We equally want the party leadership in the state to draw up a template that will involve youth leaders at the chapter and ward levels, especially in the formation of the Maintain Peace Movement, MPM, currently ongoing at the chapter and ward levels”, he said.
The youth leaders further resolved to stand by the party and Governor Emmanuel in his Completion Agenda, assuring that they would support the governor who is the leader of the party in the state to produce his successor come 2023.
Responding, Hon. Godwin Okponung, the Eket Senatorial District Chairman of the party who led the delegation sent by the party chairman to address the aggrieved youth leaders, called for calm.
Okponung assured the aggrieved youths that he would relay their complaints and demands to the Chairman, Elder Aniekan Akpan, and the party’s leadership in the state.
Okponung commended the youth leaders for the peaceful manner with which they conducted themselves during the peaceful protest, saying that he would always identify with the plights of youth having himself benefitted from the system as a youth activist which earned him positions of authority from the youth slots.
Also speaking during the occasion, the state PDP Organizing Secretary, Barr. Moses Akpan, and the State Youth Leader, Comrade Efremfon Umoh, assured that the issues raised by the youth leaders would be addressed.♥
