By Ifeizu Joe
Anambra State government has explained how it averted protest in the state, at a time when the #EndBadGovernance protesters destroyed several government facilities across the country.
Convener of Youths Earnestly Support Soludo (YESS), a political pressure group, Dr Nelson Omenugha who is special adviser to the governor on youth Empowerment stated this during an Empowerment workshop organized by the group in Awka, the state capital, on Sunday. 
The group which was formerly known as Youths Earnestly Seek Soludo was in the forefront of urging Anambra governor to vie for the governorship position, but later transformed into Youths Earnestly Support Soludo after the victory of the former CBN Chief.
Omenugha said: “What we are doing today is a youth empowerment programmes for our members. In this workshop we have lined up several forms of empowerment for youths as a means of taking them off the streets and keeping them busy. 
“We also have two members who just came back from a Chinese government sponsored trip to China, who will be speaking to us about mushroom farming. Our hope is to get members from here who will form a cooperative and farm mushroom. We will sponsor them as means of keeping our youth busy.
“That is the reason there is no protest in Anambra today. There is no protest in Anambra because Mr Governor, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo CFR proactively engaged various youth groups. The Governor has also done well in youth empowerment and the youths of the state are happy with him.
“When I was SUG president of Unizik, I dissuaded protest because if you protest and other nefarious elements take advantage and destroy things, you will still be the one to pay and at the same time you will be worse off than you were before the protest. “That was why we intentionally met with youths before the commencement of the protest to tell them all these. And the governor in his wisdom has done well to empower youths in various ways, and today, our youths are useful and do not have time for any protest. 
“There are many programmes which the governor has used to empower youths. The one youth two skills programme has given youths the opportunity to be useful. The farm to feed programme will further keep more youths busy, so we are not expecting any protest here because our youths are busy and Soludo has empowered them.”
The programme was attended by youths from all parts of the state. They were also addressed by the Commissioner for Youth Empowerment, Mr Patrick Aghamba.
