Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande, has called for more seriousness from South-East youths to enable them rediscover their identity, dreams and aspirations to make the South-East region and beyond viable as well as industrial hub of the nation.
He made the call while addressing World Igbo Youth Leaders Convention 2024 held in Enugu.
He assured the youths in the region that once they were organised in the pursuit for their common goals all the challenges facing the Igbo nation would be a thing of the past.
According to him, there are formidable and brilliant youths in the south-East but they should be more committed to themselves so that people won’t take them for granted.
Olawande advised the youths to desist from selling their future by collecting money from wrong and incompetent leaders to vote them into power.
He described the Igbo youth Convention as apt and expressed the hope that a powerful and productive communique would emerge at the end for possible solutions.
While declaring the convention open, the President General Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, represented by the National publicity Secretary, Dr Alex Ogbonnia emphasised that any nation that fails to prepare the youths morally, mentally, physically and spiritually for leadership was bound to fail.
He reminded all Igbo youths, to be proud of their heritage stressing that their forebears were men of valour, honour and dignity.
The president General made emphasis that only one recognised Ohanaeze youth body led by Mazi Chukwuma Okparaezeukwu was mandated to speak for the Igbo youths.
Chief Iwuanyanwu advised those parading themselves as representatives of Ohanaeze youth other than Okparaezeukwu-led group, to desist from such to avoid bringing disrepute to the hallowed name of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo.
In his remark, the Acting National youth leader of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, Mazi Chukwuma Okparaezeukwu, said the essence of the Convention was to brainstorm, reason together and proffer means to tackle issues and challenges in Igboland.
He cited the recent killings at Nimbo, Uzo Uwani Local Government of Enugu State as example stressing that the Igbo youth have to take stand after discussing issues ranging from insecurity, ranching and other things that affect the south-Easterners.
The Panelists at the event, Mazi Emma Mbalusi and Comrade Chuks Ibegbu called for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kalu to quell insecurity in the south-East; as well as provision of employment opportunities to end joblessness which also propels insecurity.
Participants at the Convention were Igbo youth leaders from different states in the country, National Association of Nigerian Students, Political parties, Market Associations while the Nigeria Union of Journalists South-East Zone was represented by the Enugu State Chairman, Comrade Sam Udekwe and the State Secretary, Dame Ifeoma Amuta.
In a Communique after the meeting, the stakeholders among other things identified ranching as panacea to control farmers-herders crisis.
They also demanded for political and non-kinetic solution that will fast track the release of MNK and appealed to President Bola Tinubu to take up the challenge of a quick fix lasting peace in Igboland through the release of Kanu as well as open direct dialogue with IPOB and other pro-Biafra agitators to douse the agitations in Igboland and refocus the energy of the youth within the region towards sustainable national development.
