Some elders of the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party and other opinion leaders in the state, on Monday, drew the battle line against the state governor, Godswill Akpabio, for inciting the youths against them.
Akpabio had publicly declared in the course of the celebration of the 27th anniversary of the state that the elders were not useful, adding that if the youths followed them, they would be misdirected.
This was his exact words: “As youths of the state, you have a responsibility, the future belongs to you…..On this 27th anniversary, my challenge to you is not to look at the elders. They don’t have anything to offer you.”
Reacting, the leader of the group and former Minister of Petroleum, Don Etiebet, described the comments as an incitement of the youths against the elders of the state.
He called on the youths not to listen to the governor’s call but to look up to the elders for inspiration, training, counseling, blessing and preparation to take-over from them in the future.
“We, therefore, use this opportunity to call on our youths to know that the future belongs to them but you need the elders for training, advice, direction, blessing and preparation to takeover tomorrow,”said Etiebet.
The former Minister condemned Akpabio for lying against them and telling people that the elders had distanced themselves from his administration because he refused to share the resources and allocation of the state with them.
While challenging Akpabio to substantiate his allegation, he argued that the governor decided to concoct such lies against them just because they advised him against engaging in extravagant expenditure.
“We, the elders, have counseled him against extreme profligacy, arbitrary and non-budgetary spending, awards of contracts without due processes, lack of accountability in budget implementation, lack of information and transparencies on total receipts of revenues from all sources,” said Etiebet.
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