The member representing Aba Central State Constituency, Hon. Akachukwu Ucheonye has urged Abia State youths to always have fresh memories of the failure surrounding most of the political leaders they applaud, urging them to avoid visionless politicians.
Speaking during the ‘inaugural Celebration of Abia Youths Day 2024’ in Aba, Ucheonye said that the youths are aiding the irresponsibility of some politicians who care less about their promises by offering themselves as voluntary slaves instead of stakeholders.
He stressed that old and new politicians cannot manipulate the mindset of the people if only the youths will do away with what he termed “lazy memories” and remember the colossus failures and records surrounding each politician.
“Why am I even blaming our youths? How about the short-sightedness of our youths who value the little crumbs from visionless aspirants rather than visionary aspirants? Our youth cares less about what they have to offer as youths than what they can collect from leaders.
“Our youths who knows nothing about sacrifice and investment before they reap the dividend. Our youths who sacrifice the future for now and extort money now and languish in poverty and penury for another elective year.
“We have lazy memories, yes, the youth. We eat our cakes and want to still have them yes. What are the pedigrees of these people we are applauding? They are receiving honours, awards, chieftaincy tittles and recognitions from the churches and men of God who ordinarily are expected to call their bluff and tell them the truth to their faces.”
Ucheonye said that the mirror and appropriate standard measurement for political performance is the society and people, but stressed that unfortunately nowadays, people who are dying in pain and penury claim abundance in suffering.
“You cannot claim abundance in suffering. How can our leaders be getting honours, and award recognitions in a retrogressing society? Praises and awards in the poverty, hunger and misery capital. Election time is not a season to extort but to invest and sacrifice.
“Your vote is important which is why some politicians are running around you now. They are visible now, physically eat, sing, drink and commune with you. If we support and elect visionary leaders, they will remain with us, but if we collect money and elect visionless and selfish leaders, you will see them again in the next elective year time with other lies and crumbs to feed you.”
The lawmaker urged the youths to realize that election season offers everyone an opportunity to try something new, as it is an opportunity to re-write their history and get things right, by sacrificing and investing in the support of a visionary aspirant.
“Contribute to the funding of the campaign of visionary aspirants to become stakeholders in the scheme of running the government. If you cannot contribute funds, don’t demand or take money to offer services to the making of visionary leaders.
“Become a community organizer. Talk to people at the market, church, school, motor park and town hall clusters. We the youths need to change our mindset about politics and elections. It is not the time to make money but the time to make good leaders.
“There is a clear choice, make good leaders during elections to effect positive change after an election or make small crumbs during election and wait for another election year under the same conditions.”