The Cross River State Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Oden Ewa, has charged Nigerian youths to support and embrace progressive ideals, which, according to him, are fully represented and demonstrated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) through purposeful governance.
 
He said President Bola Tinubu and Cross River State Governor, Bassey Edet Otu, have made impactful and sustainable contributions to youth development at the national and state levels by investing in programmes and policies that secure the future of young Nigerians.
 
Ewa made the remarks during the just-concluded tour of the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State under the platform of Oden Ewa Central Youths Connect, a visionary initiative designed to create a platform for intellectual engagement and purposeful interaction with youths across the district.
 
During the tour, the Commissioner held a series of engagements and interactive sessions with youths, APC members, and community leaders, highlighting their critical roles in shaping the future of Cross River State and Nigeria.

He educated participants on the core principles of progressive leadership, drawing a distinction between such leaders and what he described as static and retrogressive “push-and-start” leaders—individuals he said that lack the zeal, vision, and capacity to create value or provide purposeful leadership, and who can only offer temporary handouts rather than lasting solutions.
 
Ewa stressed that “stomach infrastructure” cannot bring about genuine human or societal development, urging youths not to settle for less but to align themselves with progressive leaders and the APC, who have prioritised investments in infrastructure and human capital development.
   
The two-day tour covered communities in Boki, Etung, Ikom, Abi, Obubra, and Yakurr local council areas. In addition to donating food items, including bags of rice, and providing financial support to the six councils, the Commissioner announced a N100 million youth grant for each local council area, amounting to N600 million.