By Tony Adibe
The Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, and the Director General, SouthEast Governors Forum (SEGOF), Secretariat, Senator Uche Ekwunife have tasked Igbo youths on the need to actively tackle the ongoing insecurity in the zone.
Both Abaribe and Ekwunife, who spoke during a 1-Day South-East Youth Leadership Development and Value Reorientation Programme held at Amadeo Event Centre in Enugu on Friday, said that youths have a lot of roles to play in the protection of the region, and rescuing it from few criminals who have made life unsafe in the area.
Themed, “South-East Youths For a Transformative Future,” the aim of the event, which was organized on the platform of SEGOF, was to train and produce responsible Igbo youths who could fit into the shoes of the current leadership when they might have left the scene.
NewsBits reports that the event was declared open by the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ossai. In a key-note speech entitled, “Creating New Possibilities for Igbo Youths Through New Values, New Narratives, New Skills and New Social Attitudes,” Abaribe emphasized the need for youths to tackle the criminals disrupting economic activities in the southeast zone of Nigeria.
Abaribe traced the root cause of the eruption of regional insecurity to a gradual loss of values and respect for human life, and advised the youths to “revive the principles of love and mutual respect.” He said: “Our leadership positions in Igboland have failed to show the youths the direction to go,” regretting, however, that the youths on their part, have left the means of climbing the ladder, instead of bending down to learn the rudiments of leadership.
He stressed that this sad development has “led us to cultism, bestiality, and going into fetish practices such as ‘ego mbute’ (making quick ritual money) among youths in Igboland. Abaribe emphasized that the five governors in the region “need to build the infrastructure that will enable our youths to grow.”
He advocated for the establishment of trade schools and certification programs across the South East to deter youths from falling prey to criminal elements.
“We must return to the foundational values of our communities—love, unity, truthfulness, and respect for human life—to secure the future we desire,” Abaribe stressed. It is time for our youths to fight against the criminals disrupting our economy under the guise of self-actualization.”
According to him, “What we see in Igboland today is not the Igbo ethos; it’s not the Igbo world-view. It’s not what we are… The Igbo spirit is that if you kill your brother, you have committed ‘igbu ochu’ (murder), which is an abomination in Igboland. We should never follow them in that line.”
Abaribe emphasized the importance of youths understanding their values and resisting recruitment into destructive activities, adding that, “The future belongs to today’s youths, and they must not be tools for destruction.”
Earlier, the convener of the youth program, and Director-General of SEGOF, Secretariat, Senator Ekwunife outlined the critical roles youths could play in the growth and development of the zone.
Ekwunife explained that one of the objectives of the gathering was to produce youths of the 21st Century who will be leaders of tomorrow. “You are trained to train others. If you have been privileged to be here today, when you go back home, you have to train others,” she advised the participants.
“It is not the misguided few involved in internet fraud, cultism, or other vices who will inherit the mantle of leadership from our distinguished Igbo compatriots who have risen to prominence both nationally and globally.
“Rather, it is you—the diligent, ambitious, and morally upright youth—who will rise to the occasion and seize the opportunities that await you. You are the architects of your future, tasked with shaping a society that values integrity, innovation, and inclusive growth,” Ekwunife said.
She encouraged participants to aspire to be responsible leaders like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Alex Ekwueme, and Dora Akunyili, Michael Okpara, Akanu Ibiam, Emeka Ojukwu, Pascal Dozie of the Diamond Bank game, among other prominent Igbo men and women who have made their marks in their various fields. She added: “Our goal is to inspire youths to harness their potential and effect positive change in their communities.”
Participants at the event were mainly Igbo youths who came from different tertiary institutions across the five south east states.
Although this is the first of its kind since the formation of the SEGOF, Ekwunife said such youth event would be organised periodically to engage the young people, who ought to participate actively in the growth and development of the Southeast Zone, especially in helping to end the current upsurge in insecurity within the region.
