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It was a indeed an assembly of young progressive minds over the weekend as the call for the Executive Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Dr. Yahaya Bello to contest for the office of the President became even louder. Youths from across the five states of the South East geopolitical zone gathered under the umbrella of the Bello Ambassadors Network (BAN) in Awka, the Anambra State capital for a Town Hall Meeting to deliberate on the state of affairs in the country and what the future holds for them.
A breakfast meeting which had a number of major stakeholders in the South East political arena in attendance preceded the Town Hall Meeting. In the Town Hall meeting, the National Coordinator of the Bello Ambassadors Network who is also the youngest cabinet member of Gov. Yahaya Bello, Hon. Anthony Edogbo, gave a sector by sector scorecard of the Yahaya Bello administration in Kogi State. Hon. Edogbo stated that Gov. Bello has transformed Kogi State into an emerging economic powerhouse in Nigeria following a number of courageous economic reforms such as the civil service reforms and digitization to weed out thousands of ghost workers and drastically increase productivity, the education sector reform and revitalization programme which has seen record investments in the education sector since the creation of Kogi State, massive infrastructural development and urban renewal projects across the state, statewide health reform programme which has seen the construction of many model health centres across many communities including three 500-bed capacity State of the art hospital in the three Senatorial districts and many other unprecedented interventions.
The BAN National Coordinator also highlighted the unprecedented youth and women friendly credentials of the Governor which he said is unrivaled in the country. According to him, the cabinet of Gov. Yahaya Bello is populated by Youths of different ethnic and religious persuasions with a good number of them women. He added that as a matter of policy, Gov. Bello encouraged his party to reserve the 21 Local Government Vice Chairmanship position to women only. He therefore described the Governor as a completely detribalised Nigerian who does not care about ethnicity or religion but competence.
While speaking at the town hall meeting, the Chief Guest Speaker, Fidelis Aghamelu who is an Associate Professor of Philosophy in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka lamented the absence of youths in governance stating that if Nigeria will realize its full potentials, the country needs to place more leadership responsibilities in the hands of young people whose competence are not in doubt. He added that as the 2023 election draws closer, Nigerians should look towards a youthful president who is not just competent but capable of uniting this country and combating insecurity.
Associate Professor Aghamelu therefore commended the young crowd who came from across the South East to pressure Gov. Yahaya Bello who is one of them to vie for the office of the President come 2023. He described Gov. Yahaya Bello as a courageous young Governor who is backed by destiny. According to him, Gov. Bello has all the necessary qualities needed to govern a complex nation like Nigeria especially one that is passing through the throes of insecurity on many fronts. He expressed confidence that having made Kogi State the top 2 safest State in the country, Gov. Bello surely has the capacity and courage to confront the multifaceted security challenges facing the country.
Another guest speaker, Hon. Arinze Igboeli Napoleon who is the Anambra Central Zonal Publicity Secretary also charged the youths to insist on a new crop of youthful leaders. He pointed out that the youths make up the largest segment of Nigeria’s population and therefore needs to make use of this numerical advantage to influence election of youths into positions of leadership. He applauded Bello Ambassadors Network for rallying round young people from across the country to convince Governor Yahaya Bello to contest for President describing Gov. Bello as a man of courage who is ready to lead this country if given the opportunity and support.
Earlier in his opening address, the South East Zonal Coordinator of Bello Ambassadors Network, Hon. Stanley Ikenna Onwuchekwe welcomed participants who came from the five states of the South East to deliberate on the next chapter of this great country and how the youths will drive it. He reiterated the overwhelming need for a generational change in leadership at all levels which will usher in a digital age of economic and social revolution. He pointed out that Igbo youths decided to key into the Bello Ambassadors Network because it realized that Gov. Yahaya Bello is a man who can best be described as the true nationalist and who despite his youthfulness has got enormous experience in leadership at the subnational level. He therefore expressed confidence that Gov. Bello will replicate his success stories in Kogi State nationally when he eventually contests and wins the 2023 presidential election with the massive support of the youths across the country.
Highlight of the South East Town Hall meeting was the address of the gathering by Gov. Yahaya Bello who connected through a video call to thank the youths for putting up such an initiative. He appreciated the confidence reposed in him and the call by BAN for him to vie for the office of the President. While promising to officially make his response to their demand known in a short while, he advised the gathering to continue to be good ambassadors of a new Nigerian youth wherever they find themselves.
