By Bukola Olamona
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Women and youths in All Progressive Congress(APC) in Ondo state have commended the state Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for the new sharing formula of the party’s executives and positions in the party.
The governor had disclosed that women will be given 30 percent and youths will also be given some percentage in a stakeholders meeting recently.
In an interview with The Hope, Erelu Modupeola Martins who was full of joy for the declaration said that women have been marginalized for so long and the governor has deemed it fit to give them what they have been agitating for knowingly fully well that women have been very active in the party.
“Honestly, the governor has made my day, though we were agitating for 35 percent which the United Nations proposed but we thanked God at least it should start from somewhere.
“If the unit, ward and Local Government leaders can follow the governor’s speech to the letter, then it will be a good thing,” she said.
Erelu who said women are very active in the party, enthused that though they might not be many but those on ground has really done well and will encourage others who felt they have not be given fair treatment to want to be more active.
Also, Dr (Mrs) Adebunmi Osadahun from Akoko North West, described the speech of the governor as very pleasant one to the women folk of the party, adding that if the men will follow what the governor said, the women will want to go all out to ensure was the party succeed.
She was sceptical that experience has shown that when the ships are down, men do not want to release positions to women.
Osadahun thereby called on the men folks in the party to do what the governor said and see how the women will support them.
The APC Youth South leader, Comrade Kolade Olanrewaju said the governor has spoken well, adding that” Our position is in line with that of the governor that whoever will become the party youths leader across board must be within the age of 18 to 40.
“We made a proposal to the governor that youth leader across board should be given 40 percent in the sharing formula of the excos from ward to local government to senatorial district, state and national” said he.
The youth leader said the youth are always at the receiving in the scheme of things,” they are always at the fore front from inception and I believe if the youth are saddled with the responsibility in the party executives, they will deliver.
“They will be able to bring new ideas and exposures they have from their engagement from other part of the world like ICT and the likes so that the party can be much more stronger than what we have now” he added.
He lamented what has been happening in the past where those representing the youth are more than 40 years of age saying an end has come to that now.
He said” we want an end to that so that our youth can be given their place in the party executives across board, our youth in government are doing well”.
Olanrewaju therefore used the occasion to commend Mr governor who for the first time appointed a youth as the Chief Press Secretary, saying such has not happened before.
” It has never happened in this state and look at it ,the result is there to see ,that our youth if saddled with responsibility will perform much more better than the elders, he stated.