By Okechukwu Onuegbu
The Press Secretary to governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, Mr Christian Aburime, has urged the youth to ignore the call by a group which had threatened to mobilise them to dump debris at the front of government house.
A Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), had in an a statement signed by their leader threatened to dump wastes and debris at the gate of Anambra State Government House on Friday, November 25, as a way to ‘punish’ the governor over his recent comment on the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party and former governor of the state, Mr. Peter Obi.
But Aburime, while reacting to the statement, described it as a sponsored charade by political enemies and mischief makers, who according to him, wants to distract or derail the Soludo Administration and the progress it is making in the state.
“Soludo’s government remains focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to Ndị Anambra and will not be distracted by any form of verbal attack, threat or such sponsored charade as this; as he is working round the clock to make life better for the people," he added.
The Press Secretary reminded the youths that they are both the leaders of today and tomorrow, and should not allow themselves to be used as a tool of distraction by some politicians or individuals "who have no good intent for them, than just to use them to achieve their mischievous aims and dump them thereafter."
“Instead of threatening to come and dump refuse at the Government House, the youths should rally round and support the government of Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, because his administration is actually working for the betterment of their lives, to see that both the youths of this present generation and the generation to come will have something that can make life more meaningful for them,” Aburime said in a telephone interview with this reporter.
He added that, aside giving the youths various key positions in his administration, Soludo’s government is also currently training and empowering thousands of youths across the state in different vocational skills, which, he said, is a good proof that youth empowerment is part of the major focus of his administration.
On whether Governor Soludo would withdraw the said comment he made on Obi, as the youth group threatened him to do before Friday; Aburime said the Governor had no such plan, adding that he did not regret about what he said.
“Soludo will never retract any statement, and he has no regret about what he said, because he has actually expressed his own opinion which is his constitutional rights, and has said nothing but the truth; and you know they say the truth is always bitter…
“Again, I want to make it clear that Peter Obi has not disagreed with what Soludo said about his investment in Anambra State as a Governor. He has also confirmed that the value of the investment has gone down, as Soludo said. And these are all verifiable. So, to that end, I don’t see the reason people should be attacking Soludo or plotting this or that against him or his government," he noted.
When asked whether the said comment has caused any decay in Soludo’s relationship with Obi; Aburime emphatically stated that Soludo’s relationship, friendship and brotherhood with Obi still remain intact, as against what many people think; and marvelled at how people created and magnified a non-existent issue, and how they react to the said comment of the Governor.
“As long as I know, there is no issue between Governor Soludo and Peter Obi. So I wonder why people disturb themselves and go about shouting in the media, over-reacting and issuing one threat or the other over a non-existent issue they created. These are totally uncalled for; and the people indulging in such should have a rethink,” Aburime said