By Chukwudi Obi

The Abia State chapter of Young Visioneers' Association of Nigeria, YVAN, a national youth pressure group, has called on youths in the state to participate actively in both politics and the process of choosing their representatives.

This is even as the group has rolled out activities to ensure massive public enlightenment and mobilization of youths at the grass root level.

Speaking during their monthly general meeting in Umuahia, the state capital recently, State Coordinator of the group, Comr Stanly Nwankwo reiterated the group's commitment to ensuring active youths participation in the electoral process in the state.

Comrade Nwankwo who stressed the need for more young people to be actively involved in politics, noted that part of their enlightenment campaign will focus on building the capacity of the youths such that they can hold elective positions as well as hold elected officials accountable apart from participating actively in the electoral process in the state.

According to Nwankwo who urged youths to shun selling their votes for any amount of money, the best way to enthrone true democracy in the state is to ensure that all stakeholders including the youths are active participants in the process of electing their officials.

Nwankwo, however lamented the nonchalant attitudes of many youths in the state to the on going voter registration exercise across the country adding that the figures peddled on some social media platforms indicate that the south east has the lowest number of registered voters.

In his own speech, the state Publicity Secretary of the group, Ambassador Duke Imandu averred that the group will embark on the sensitization campaign as part of its community mobilization project, insisting that youths who have not registered for their voter's card will be encouraged to do so.

In his words, "YVAN will select some local government areas in Abia that will be visited in the first phase of the sensitization campaign. After that, another group of LGAs will be selected for the next batch."

The Publicity Secretary added that the campaign will expose the youths to the benefits of political participation and dissuade them from being paid agents or mercenaries of desperate politicians whose wish is to kill and maim in order to win elections.

Ambassador Imandu opined that the enlightenment programme will also offer opportunity for the youths to learn financial intelligence, budget tracking and good governance apart from teaching them leadership and management skills even as he hinted that the group will liaise with the Abia State INEC Commissioner and other officials at Local Governments level to ensure a hitch free voter registration exercise in rural communities.