By Our Correspondent
The Honorable Member representing Aba North/South Federal Constituency of Abia State in the nation’s green chamber, Honorable Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, elected under All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has appealed to Nigerian Youths to apply both caution and restraint and give Mr President sometime to begin to see some of the positive effects of his good policies.
Hon. Ikwechegh made this appeal during the town hall meeting convened by the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Dr Tajudeen Abbas Wednesday, 31st. July, 2024 at the Temporary Chamber, House of Representatives, National Assembly Complex in Abuja-FCT, with various youth organisations, student associations and some civil society organisations as well as other critical stakeholders in attendance.
Hon. Ikwechegh while fielding questions from newsmen after the town hall meeting bordering on his message to the young people who wanted to go on with the planned nationwide hunger and hardship protests stated that: “it’s apparent that there is a disconnect between the youths and the nation, the internet tends to most times put out narratives that are sometimes clandestine and by this young people will not have true and clinical information about numerous government policies that are meant to better their lives. I will be very frank with you before I came into the national assembly, what compelled me to come into the national assembly was 20th. October event of 2020 at the Lekki toll gate, it compelled me to come into politics.
Now for me it’s not a bad thing for people to engage in protests to express their dismay, dissatisfaction and displeasure concerning actions or inactions of government.
However, it is also important we also take into cognizance of the social structure of Nigeria’s 250 million people, different tribes and different religions, it’s a very fragile atmosphere to be engaged with such a thing. I am pleased that Nigerian youths are becoming cognizant, becoming aware, becoming conscious of the political activities, fully understanding that actions or inactions of government tends to affect their way of life, their life style, their welfare and every body is now involved, however I think that we should give this government a little bit of time, I am a member of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) but I can tell you that I have seen policies that Mr President has put together and I understand that this is a nation of 250 million people- these policies will not begin to metastasize itself in less than one year.
But, after a period of time Nigerians will begin to see some of the effects. We should also take into cognizance that some of the current situation or economic quagmire that we find ourselves in, did not begin in this administration.
This is deficit of proper administrations that the country has encountered for over 20 years.
Therefore, my message to young people is: “let us not be in hurry to do what other people are doing, someone mentioned Kenya as a case study, what’s the population of Kenya? Hon. Ikwechegh asked rhetorically. He concluded by saying that the situation is very fragile, let us give time and take it easy and give the policies sometime to begin to yield fruits”.
