AHEAD of the 2015 general elections in Edo State, thousands of youths in the state, yesterday, held a procession round major roads in Benin, saying politicians should use their children as thugs, warning that they would resist attempts by politicians in the state to engage youths as thugs.
The youths, who declared this on the occasion of the 2014 International Youth Day, called on the state government to set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the alleged murder of Mr. Daniel Aifegha, who was allegedly killed for political reasons in Owan West Local Government Area of the state last month.
The youths, who declared this on the occasion of the 2014 International Youth Day, called on the state government to set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the alleged murder of Mr. Daniel Aifegha, who was allegedly killed for political reasons in Owan West Local Government Area of the state last month.
A statement by Osaro Iyamu of the Edo Youth for Good Governance, EYFGG; Solomon Okoduwa of Initiative for Youth Awareness on Migration, Immigration, Development and Reintegration, IYAMIDR and others, urged politicians in the state to focus on how to sponsor responsible candidates for elections rather than arming and recruiting innocent youths as thugs.
They said: “We have heard politicians threatening fire and brimstone in the state over the coming 2015 elections. But we all know that they are relying on youths of the state, whom they use as thugs.
“But we are warning that our youths will never be used again. They should bring back their children and use them as thugs. We are advising them to sponsor candidates with good pedigree else they will lose if they want to rely on our youths for thuggery.”
They called on the Federal Government to initiate strate-gies that will revolutionise the country through agriculture, saying the dependence on oil was impeding development in the country.
