The National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and Special Adviser on Youth Mobilization to the Governor of Cross River State, Dan Obo, has launched a campaign against the re-election of the lawmaker representing Cross River Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Eteng Jones.
Obo’s opposition to Jones stems from what they describe as his failure to deliver on campaign promises and a lack of effective representation, saying the senator has failed to live up to the standard set by his predecessors.
He argue that he has not worked in the interest of the people and has fallen short of the standard expected of a federal lawmaker.
“There’s nothing to pretend about. Cross River Central has a history of distinguished senators, people like John Owan-Enoh, Victor Ndoma-Egba, and Sandy Onor.
“But this is the first time we have a senator who is asked to sit down when he attempts to speak in the Senate chambers. The standard has dropped significantly,” Obo said.
He also accused the senator of being invisible in the constituency and ineffective in delivering empowerment and development.
“We cannot support a senator whose impact is limited to exercise boots, pens, and streetlights. Our expectations are higher. There must be a level of panache and effective representation,” the SA added.
Shifting his focus to youth leadership in Cross River, the special adviser accused the State Chairman of the NYCN, Emmanuel Olayi, of financial misconduct.
Obo, during an exclusive media interaction with the Guild in Calabar yesterday, alleged that Olayi misappropriated ₦5 million out of the ₦10 million approved for the Council shortly after taking office.
“The approval for ₦10 million came during my term as chairman. At the time, someone told me to leave ₦5 million behind, but I refused. I believe in accountability. When Olayi took over, the full ₦10 million was paid to the Youth Council’s Globus Bank account, but we only saw ₦5 million spent. The remaining ₦5 million is unaccounted for,” he stated.
He further lamented that efforts to question the handling of the funds were met with resistance and hostility.
“When you ask questions, you’re in trouble,” he said, insisting that the youth community in the state deserves transparency and responsible leadership.
Furthermore, Obo decried the marginalisation of his local government area in recent state-run scholarship programs. He alleged that while youths from Yakurr and Obubra were sponsored for overseas education, his community was excluded.
“While beneficiaries from Yakurr and Obubra were sent abroad, my community had no representation,” he said.
Calling for a shift in the political consciousness of young people across the state, Obo urged them to rally behind the development-focused leadership of Governor Bassey Otu.
“We must come together to support the governor’s policies. This is the time for youth to take responsibility and ensure we uphold standards in leadership,” he concluded.
