The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Samuel Ortom, Mr. Terver Akase has stated that the Benue Youth Summit initiated by his boss, after the EndSARS protests, is for every Benue youth, irrespective of political affiliation, religion and place of origin.
Akase stated this in reaction to insinuations that the Youth Summit has been hijacked by the Ortom Government and it will be an affair managed and attended by youths of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) alone.
Akase clarified that the summit is a non-partisan event aimed at availing youths of the state, from all walks of life, the opportunity to interface with the State Government on issues affecting them to arrive at solutions to such challenges.
He said the summit is to hold between 25th and 27th November, 2020.
Akase recalled that while inaugurating the Youth Summit Steering Committee on October 28, 2020, Gov. Ortom had charged the committee to be committed to ensuring that the Summit opens the door for greater opportunities for the young generation in the state.
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“You must dedicate yourselves to working to ensure that Benue youths take their rightful position in the social, political and economic spheres of life. I assure you that our Government will give you every support and cooperation that you need to succeed in this very important assignment.”
The Governor had also directed that 50 participants for the Summit should be drawn from each of the 23 local government area from different political parties (APC, APGA, PDP) as well as members of other groups in the society.
He said “that directive is strictly being complied with by the Steering Committee. It is practically impossible to assemble all Benue youths in one hall to attend a summit. This is why representatives are to come from the 23 local government areas in an equitable manner to take part in the three-day event.
“The participants will take the knowledge they are to gain from the summit back to those who would not be at the event.
“It is pertinent to equally state that the All Progressives Congress youth leader in Benue State is a key member of the Steering Committee. There are several subcommittees of the Summit to which members of different political parties belong. It is therefore mischievous and misleading for anyone to insinuate that the Youth Summit is a PDP summit.
“We expect those playing politics with the coming Youth Summit to remember that the challenges facing Benue State do not affect only one political party, region or religion. When EndSARS protests erupted recently across the country, the agitation and destruction that followed did not affect only one political party, individual or group.
“The task of developing Benue State and addressing its challenges is the responsibility of all Benue people and we advise those desperately giving political colorations to the Youth Summit to rather prepare memoranda and send to the summit Steering Committee as their contribution to addressing the youth question,” Akase said.
