The Enugu Innovative Youth group, comprising members from the 17 local government areas of Enugu State, has announced that they will not participate in any destructive protests despite the worsening hunger and economic hardship in the country.
At a press conference in Enugu, the group, allegedly sponsored by Governor Peter Mbah’s administration, stated that Enugu State is on the path to greatness and they will not compromise its progress.
The group’s Publicity Secretary, Jude Aniagu, acknowledged the country’s challenges, including hunger, financial downturn, and high debt ratio, but urged peace and calmness in Enugu State.
While acknowledging the justification for the proposed Nationwide hunger Protest from August 1 to 10, 2024, they appealed for a rethink, citing the positive developments in Enugu State under Governor Mbah’s administration.
“We are not oblivious of the possibility of the proposed Nationwide Hunger Protest being hijacked by perpetrators of evils and hoodlums, hence, the youths in Enugu State must withdraw and distance ourselves from such destruction of our common heritage.
“Enugu State is our own and one of the most peaceful and productive State of the federation. We cannot relapse to a state of anarchy and infrastructural deficit which the nationwide protest will plague us into.
“Enugu youths must resist any attempt to destroy or deface the aesthetics, beauty and ambience of Enugu under Gov. Mbah’s excellente pad stellar performance in the State.”
The group said that they do not want to lose the lives of Enugu youths in the protest which they claimed hoodlums are planning to hijack to further their sinister motives of triggering attack on peaceful youths of the State.
“While we call for calmness among our youths in the State, we are also calling on the Federal Government and the State Government under Gov. Mbah to engage Enugu youths in a dialogue on the best way to close the gap in unemployment ratio and poverty head count index ratio in the State especially among the youths.
“We are also aware that Enugu State Government has plans for job creation for the youths through his propose of strategic programmes and training of our youths in Information Technology and Entrepreneurship development.
“We must not lose our lives to this protest but must strive to have to be beneficiaries of this lofty vision.
“We are aware that any protest in Enugu will destroy our common heritage which Gov. Mbah is assiduously working to revive by his massive infrastructural project in our dear State. Hance, a call for calmness and peace,” the statement partly read.
