Barely 48 hours after the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) presidential campaign raly in Benin city, the Edo state capital, aggrieved PDP youths under the aegis of Grassroot Youths Initiative (GYI) yesterday staged a peaceful protest against the state leadership of the party over alleged diversion of the presidential largesse meant for the youths by a party leader and campaign coordinator of the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) campaign organisation in the state.
The overv one hundred youths brandished various placards took their protest to the state secretariat of the party barricaded the Benin -Sapele -Warri express road, thereby restricting human and vehicular movement on the busy Benin road for several hours.
President Grassroot Youths Initiative (GYI), Osarobo Idahosa said the youths of the state have been defrauded by a party leader who denied them of their pay from the presidential campaign largesse voted for the youths and vowed to work against the party if the money is not made available to them.
They said the act was a slap on the face of Edo youths, and that it could threaten the victory of the party at the February 14th general election “few days from now is the February 14th election and if the leadership of PDP fails to do the needful before the election day, the youths of the state will ensure the party fails because what we are saying is no to what we are sensing. We want transparency, we do not want individuals to decide the fate of this state. The money that was meant to be given to the youths in the state should be given to the youths. Enough is enough.”he said.
But men of the Edo state Police Command led by the Commissioner of Police, Folusho Adebanjo, stormed the area to ensure that the protest did not go violent and appealed to the angry youths to channel their grievances to the appropriate quarters.
Reacting to the allegations by the Youths, Ize-Iyamu said the Youths claims were baseless and unfounded adding that they are mischief makers
“No such amount was realised for the presidential rally by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the allegation is false and laughable”, he said.
Some staff attached to the state PDP secretariat were chased away by the protesters before shutting down the place by the youths who claimed to be members of “grassroots youths initiatives, Edo state chapter.
Another Spokesman of the group, Cromwell Osaigbovo who alleged that they were hired to boost the crowd during last Wednesday’s presidential rally held at Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin City, accused Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the state Coordinator of Presidential campaign team of Goodluck Jonathan of shortchanging them.
Osaigbovo who led other youths to chantwar songs alleged that they turned down N20, 000 upon a reliable information that the sum of N2.2 billion was released by the president to prosecute the rally.
“We are saying no to marginalization of the youths. What we are saying right now is to tell the leadership of the PDP that we should understand one thing that Jonathan is our father.Jonathan is our blood and we are begging them. We have not come here for violence.
“We are only sending a letter of protest to the PDP that few days from now is the election and whatever happens today, have damming consequences on February 14th presidential elections.
“We don’t want a single individual to decide the fate of the youths in this state and this is the message to the leaders of PDP that the money that was meant to be given to the youths of this state”, he said.
Also speaking, Comrade Saynley Kokoma said: “We are not afraid of anybody. Enough is enough. This protest is between us and the PDP. God has revealed Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s secrets including what he has done to us in the past. Recall that when we are busy working day and night. PDP leaders are busy shopping abroad. While we were under the scotching sun working for Jonathan last Wednesday, Ize-Iyamu’s children were overseas busy doing shopping.
The ostensibly angry youths who were armed with placards of various inscriptions “Ize-Iyamu, you have dashed your governorship ambition’’, “the new Nigerian youths, we are taking over from you’’, beware of youths’’, “we the grassroots initiatives say no to money laundering’’, unanimously described the actio
Pastor Ize Iyamu
