….as Aiyekire local government youths declare support for Governor Oyebanji
By Precious Oham
The Ekiti State government on Sunday engaged youths at the grassroots level on its activities and programmes towards an inclusive governance and administration.
The one-day Town Hall Engagement/Solidarity Walk for BAO in Aisegba-Ekiti for youhts in Aiyekire LGA/Gbonyin LCDA was organised by the Office of Special Assistant, Youth Development in conjunction with Bureau of Community Communications.
Speaking at the event, the Director General, Office of Community Communications, Mary Omotosho, represented by the Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media, Yewande Aribasoye said the meeting is the first of its kind in the state.
She noted that the yearnings of youths in the LGA will be addressed by Governor Biodun Oyebanji adding that the government is committed to their welfare.
Her words: “This is a good development. I am not sure this has happened in Ekiti before for the youths to gather in their LGAs to say whatever they want to say.
“This will help the government to know what is happening around the LGAs and know the minds of the youths. A lot of people have poured out their minds and we know where to come in to tell the governor about what is happening in Gbonyin LGA.
“We believe that the governor will do something about their request. For them to come out, it shows that they still love the governor despite saying their minds.”
On his part, the S.A on Youth Development to the Governor, Maxwell Olu-Ajayi disclosed that the town hall meeting was put in place to step down government interventions for youths at the grassroots level.
Olu-Ajayi, who explained that the town hall meeting further highlighted the unwavering support for the present administration by the youths assured of more intervention programmes to alleviate the plights of the youths.
He said: “The main reason why we are here is to step down government interventions for the young ones to be able to assess and also hear from them and to be able to also let the governor know what the youths also need in each LGA.
“We have put a modus operandi on how they will able to get government interventions as at when due. We established also that our governor is doing well. They appreciated him for the electricity that they are enjoying today.
“They are ready to also support the government of Biodun Oyebanji in all capacity and we have assured them that every government interventions, they are going to be beneficiaries of it. We appreciate the governor for giving this opportunity for the youth engagement.”
Aslo, a youth of the LGA and the coordinator of the town hall meeting on behalf of the S.A to the Governor on Youth Development, Philip Oluwaseun commended the state government for prioritising the welfare of the youths in the state.
“The governor is doing wonderfully well. The youths identified the gap in communication between the government and the people at the grassroots. There is need for this programme to come up more regularly so that the gap can be breached.”
The town hall meeting had in attendance the leadership of youths association in the LGA and LCDA, representative of various youth groups including the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ekiti Youth Parliament, political office holders and youths in the LGA.
