Two political groups in Kwara State, the Bio Youth Network Support Group and Baruten Vanguard Youth Development Association, have urged politicians in the state and Nigeria to avoid politics of blackmail and intimidation.

According to a joint statement from the groups, which was made available to journalists in Ilorin on Sunday,   political leaders should rather concentrate on delivering dividends of democracy and good governance to the people than resorting in politics of acrimony.

The statement was signed by the coordinator and secretary of Bio Youth Network Support Group, Abdulkadir Yusuf and Adamu Yusuf, as well as the Chairman and Secretary of Baruteen Vanguard Youth Development Association, Yahaya Jubril and Issa Hussain, respectively.

They stated that the attack on a former Minister of Transport, Mr. Isa Ibrahim, allegedly by a government functionary (name withheld) was surprising, untrue and mislead.

The group stated that Ibrahim had contributed significantly to human capital and infrastructural development in Nigeria and in Kwara State.

“Rather than educate the citizens, provide electricity across board, build school and health centres with good network and roads, they preferred to give Sadaka for dividend of democracy in forms of cash, peanuts, rice and semovita. That is their definition of empowerment.

“We know too well, that Kwara North can never move forward under this Stone Age feudal arrangement.

“Rather than joining them to expand the family dynasty to continue to do wickedness to our people, Ibrahim is in the race to build a structure and an enabling environment, come 2015, when he gets the mandate in which job creation becomes possible, progress and development breeze in again,” the groups said.