Governor Ugwuanyi’s campus to campus campaign against electoral violence “STUDENTS ASSETS NOT THUGS” continued yesterday 12th December, 2018 in Enugu State College of Education Technical (ESCET) Enugu State.
In attendance was Mr. Chidi Ilogebe: S.A to the governor on student’s affairs, Ogechukwu Nnamene: S.A to the governor on youth’s affairs, Master Abajoe, Ugwu Paschal: Chairman National Youth Council of Nigeria, Enugu State chapter and Comr. Igbokwe Onyebuchi the resource person.
The event started with an opening prayer said by the SUG president of Enugu State College of Education Technical (ESCET). The S.A to the governor on Students Affairs Mr. Chidi Ilogebe gave the opening remark by emphasizing that the major reason for this campaign is to sensitize the students on the need to eschew electoral violence. One of the dignitaries present Master Abajoe reiterated that students are not thugs but equal partners in the business of nation building. In addition, he said that what led to the collapse of the first republic was electoral violence perpetrated by youths who are mostly students.
Comrade Ogechukwu Nnamene SA to the governor on youth’s affairs encouraged the students to come out en mass during election to exercise their franchise. comrade Ugwu paschal who is the Chairman National Youth Council of Nigeria Enugu State chapter eulogized the governor, calling him a student friendly governor, who in his magnanimity and initiative is the first ever governor to introduce the office of the SA on students affairs. He dissuaded the students against involving themselves in electoral violence. He took a cue from the former president Goodluck Jonathan who during the time he contested for presidency said that his ambition to become president is not worth the life of any citizen of the country. In this line of thought, he admonished the students that the 2019 election is not something worth dying for.
Comrade Igbokwe Onyebuchi in his presentation enumerated the importance of participating actively in election. It is through voting in an election that the students perform one of their civic responsibilities, he said. He encouraged the students to avoid voter apathy and pointed out that it is due to absence of greater number of registered voters during election that create the room for rigging or manipulation of results.
Finally, the students expressed their joy, and acclaimed that the lecture was something worthwhile hence they promised to participate in the next coming election in a peaceful manner.
