By Angela Nwaeze Mbaocha
Former All Progressives Congress woman leader and a legal practitioner in Ebonyi State, Barrister Tonia Adol Awam, on Tuesday engaged Ebonyi women and youths drawn from the 13 local government areas of the State on the need to be self reliance before venturing into politics.
During a One day women/ youth outreach / capacity building on the need for self reliance, organized by Barr. Awam in conjunction with Alliance for Africa (AFA), she noted that being self reliance would reduce over dependency on government and as such godfather will die in Nigeria politics.
She maintained that why godfather is in existence in Nigeria politics was because the youths cannot stand on their own financially.
She enjoined women and youths to build their life by engaging in another business before stepping into politics.
Stating, “God father works in our political system because we didn’t start on time. We have to stop it by being self reliance, if you are not self reliance and you go into politics, be ready to receive insults and embarrassments. Any leader who is not ready to show you the road, don’t follow such leader, what such leader wants is to use you and dump you, when appointment comes he will start looking for his in-laws to empower.”
A Catholic clergy, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Chukwuma Agbo, in a remark, encouraged youths to engage in Agro farming or any other business before going into politics so that they will have regard.
One of resource persons, Mrs. Beatrice Nkwuda, took the participants on rice production and marketing. She noted that politics and agriculture goes hand in hand therefore, young men and women should start life with rice farming.
Mrs. Nkwuda described farming as the easiest means of survival as it could be harvested within three months of planting and one can go into either up-land or swampy farming.
Participants, Mrs. Adeze Angela Nwedu and Ngozi Vincent Nwaopkuku, said it is important for the women to be self reliance, pointing out that those who can’t farm rice can farm cassava and forget about serving people.
The duo opined that if every member of political parties should have something doing it will remove political rancour and acrimony among the leadership and those they are leading.
This is a news and also a food for thought to Ebonyi people. Both leaders and the led should learn to make politics a hobby not a profession. Godfather ism kills the system.