Akwa Ibom State governor Umo Eno summoned leaders of the #EndBadGovernance protests to a breakfast meeting at the Government House in Uyo, the state capital.
He calmed their frayed nerves by offering them 5,000 jobs so that they could sheathe their swords.
The youths drawn from across the 31 local government areas also included the representatives of some other ethnic nationalities including the Arewa, Yoruba, Igbo, and other Niger Delta communities.
Amidst dinning and winning, the governor announced plans to hold an engagement forum in the next few weeks to specifically thank them for their peaceful conduct during the protest, as well as unveil plans to create over 5,000 jobs for the youths across party lines.
Besides, he announced plans to engage no fewer than 200 youths from each LGAs, 50 from each of the four non-indigene groups, and others where he will engage in meaningful ventures to improve their living conditions and solicited their continuous cooperation and support for his administration to be able to deliver the dividends of democracy in an atmosphere devoid of violence.
He said: “I am indeed very pleased and thankful to the Akwa Ibom youths. What you have done is to energize us more. The responsibility you have placed on our shoulders is huge and we will rise to it because that’s what you elected us to do.
“If there is leadership, there must be followership and by what you have done, you have exhibited followership and we are deeply grateful.”
Announcing implementation modalities, the governor assured that a committee to be steered by Team Leads across the 31 LGAs, who will each select 200 youths in their respective councils for the planned engagement would be set up.
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prince Enobong Uwah, said government would undertake the responsibility of ensuring effective implementation of the youths’ empowerment initiative.
“I expect the Team Leads to lead a very transparent process. I also expect them to come up with a database of unemployed Akwa Ibom youths, so we may engage investors and others who desire to do business with our state and to inform them of the availability of trained manpower across professions and other ranks of artisans.
“We want to touch the lives of our youths, the great Akwa Ibom youths who have remained dedicated and supportive of our determined and avowed efforts to continuously work to improve their welfare.
“This process is to be carried out across party lines. The youths who listened to our plea not to join the protest are not just members of a particular political party but Akwa Ibom youths, and we appreciate them,” he explained.
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