By Obeten Godfrey
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Calabar South Branch has reaffirmed it’s stance of a peaceful elections, stating that “there will be no room for electoral violence in the area.”
The NYCN made it’s position known in a town hall meeting it organised in partnership with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Calabar.
In his opening remark, the Calabar South Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ita Richard said the town hall meeting was organised as part of measures to educate the people of the area on the electoral process as well as enlighten them on how to go about a peaceful elections.
“I welcome you all to Calabar South a land of peace. I don’t want to see you smile it’s a land of peace. Any time we say the word Calabar South, so many people answer it with a clause, but I must say this is a land of peace. Because every name you have heard about this LGA called Calabar South, everything you have seen or known about Calabar South is not the Calabar South that you really know.
“I believe some of us have lived in Calabar South and we are looking very beautiful and we have moved around Calabar South without being harassed, without any problem without you know; having any thought from parking away from Calabar South.
“So we speak this day, we come together this day to tell the world that Calabar South is a place that election will take place without any form of violence, I can assure you that.
“Why I say this is because I have confidence in the arrangement that is already on ground for the election. Of course you have heard overtime now for the past one year there have not been any cult killing, no violent, no stealing, no snatching of phones from anybody. Of course these things happen in other LGA’s but I wonder why Calabar South is more prominent when it comes to these things.
“But I must say that this time around this election period in particular, there will be no such things,” The NYCN Chairman said.
On a similar note, the Head of Local Government Administration (HOLGA) in the Council, Mrs. Elemi charged the youths to shun violence, before, during and after the elections; but rather urged them to exercise their civic and constitutional rights by voting peacefully and conscientiously for the candidates of their choice.
She said violence will not help restore sanity to the system, and that it is now time for Calabar South youths to prove to the world that elections can hold in Calabar South without any form of violence.
“Selling yourself and your conscience to those big guys to use is that you are selling your destiny and so it is time for the youths to wake up. But it takes the youths who are wise, who are intelligent, who knows your worth to speak out. Not with guns not with knife’s but to show that you have all it takes to change the system that you have.
“I want to charge you people, don’t allow people to use your conscience. Don’t sell your conscience, don’t allow yourselves to be used as instruments of violence, don’t; because when you die your own is finished, it is your immediate family that will feel it. Those people who empowered you to go and do those destruction their children are somewhere. They will not want their children to be used for such act that they employ you to do.
“As election is at the corner all that we need to do is on that day I will go out, go out with your PVC and cast your vote. Like they say defend your vote. Defending your vote does not mean you should go and fight,” the HOLGA reiterated.
The event which held at the Council Hall of Calabar South Local Government Council Headquarters in Annantigha, had representatives of the Nigerian Police, the DSS, Youth Groups and the National Orientation Agency.
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