January 12, 2026
The Kogi East Youths Advocate and Liberation Movement formally acknowledges Governor Alhaji Usman Ododo for stabilizing Kogi State’s political landscape and recalibrating governance following a period of turbulence. Under his administration, confidence in public institutions is being restored, fiscal discipline is being reasserted, and Kogi State is gradually regaining its footing within Nigeria’s national development agenda.
However, the movement warns that political stability without economic justice is illusory. In Kogi East, youth remain trapped in cycles of unemployment, underemployment, and systemic economic exclusion — a situation that poses not merely a social challenge but a looming political crisis. Ignoring the productive integration of young people, the statement asserts, erodes the very legitimacy of any government.
In response, the movement calls on Governor Ododo to declare Kogi East a *Youth Development Priority Zone*. This designation must translate into targeted investments: vocational training centres, technology innovation hubs, accessible cooperative financing, agro-processing facilities, and support for youth-led enterprises. These initiatives are framed not as hangouts but as strategic tools for political empowerment and economic liberation.
The logic is presented as straightforward: when young people secure jobs, they become defenders of democracy; when they own businesses, they become guardians of stability; when they possess hope, they evolve into active partners in governance. Empowered youth, the statement argues, represent the most formidable political constituency any leader can cultivate.
The movement urges Governor Ododo to be remembered not for the duration of his tenure but for the number of young lives he uplifted into productivity. Kogi East stands ready to contribute, work, and build — but requires the state to unlock doors of opportunity.
“This is the moment to transition from campaign rhetoric to concrete policy action, from symbolic gestures to structural economic reform,” the statement concludes. “Empower the youth. Secure the state. Transform Kogi East.”
Edison Atumeyi Edime
Spokesperson, Kogi East Youth Advocate & Liberation Movement
07068760054
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