Cobham made this known when members of Odukpani Leadership Academy paid him a visit in his Calabar residence, pleading with him to wade into the lingering crisis which has taken over the local government area.
The former deputy governor insisted that some traditional leaders are behind the crisis in their communities, recruiting the youths to go and fight. He, therefore, warned the youths against yielding to such calls by their traditional leaders.
"Some of our traditional rulers are aiding those troubles, this goes to show the quality of leadership we put in place in our various communities". Cobham noted.
"There's no reason why a village head will live outside his village. If you are so desirous of being a village head then you must live amongst your people or build a structure that can feed you with constant information".
"As youths, you must refuse to fight wars. Don't allow your leaders to use you as instruments of self-destruction. Violence starts where logic stops, there's is nothing violence can achieve that dialogue cannot achieve". He warned
While opining that lack of succession plan has been the major cause of leadership failure in Odukpani and Cross River state as a whole. The former deputy governor advised the Academy to ensure they groom upcoming leaders who will think out of the box even as they prepare to take over the various leadership positions in the state and nation as well.
The erstwhile PDP Secretary in the state also admonished the youth to frequently visit their various communities as he believes this is one of the ways they can influence their peers back home and avoid a future communal crisis.
He said when youths begin to make a career out of politics, they become desperate to do anything just to survive while he admonished that they should rather work towards achieving those things that gives joy instead of those things that gives momentous happiness.
Earlier, in his address, the leader of the delegation, comrade Kingsley Ikpembe intimated the erstwhile deputy governor of the activities of the newly birthed Leadership Academy for Oduknpani youths, stating that the Academy was conceived out of the need to groom young ones who will eventually step into the leadership shoes of the older generation as well as act as a pressure group for the emancipation and development of Odukapni local government area.
Comrade Kingsley who is also the immediate past pioneer Director General of Greater Calabar Capital Development Authority said members of the academy decided to visit the former deputy governor so he could lend his voice into the lingering and very disturbing crisis that has plagued the local government area and to also discuss how Odukpani can be developed and be reckoned with.
Kingsley, also noted that the visit will afford the members of the academy to chat a course that will bring development and opportunities to indigenes of Odukpani.
The group had also earlier paid a similar visit to the MD of Davandy group of companies, High Chief Asuquo Ekpenyong, who also pledged his commitment in ensuring complete and lasting peace is restored in Odukpani even as he admonished the youths to return to their various villages and take responsibility of whatever goes on there.
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