Ozigbo Receives ASTUC Award, Enjoins Anambra Youth To Work Hard, Dare To Dream, As Six Others Get Recognition In Dunukofia

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Charles Onyekamuo

The 2022 governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) in Anambra State, Chief Valentine Ozoigbo at the weekend enjoined the youth in the state to imbibe the virtues of hard work, fear of God, patriotism, self reliance, moral courage and go to equity with clean hands if they wanted to be valuable to themselves and the larger society.

He made the remarks at a ceremony organized by the Anambrs State Town Union Council (ASTUC), youth wing in Awka ,the Anambra state capital where he was recognized as the “Amesi Community Role Model,2026” .

He was also bestowed with ASTUC’s, “Anambra Community Youth Development Award”, for his outstanding contributions to community development and youth empowerment in the state.

Ozoigbo told the gathering of Anambra youth that they should neither be ashamed to pursue legitimate endeavours and have really no option than to do more than they had already done .

While expressing delight that his Amesi community in Aguata council area of the state found him worthy of selection for recognition by ASTUC youth wing, Ozigbo commended the youth organisation’s leadership for the initiative of recognizing role models across the state’s 177 communities as an inspiration to the younger people.

He said he was excited about the efforts the ASTUC youth wing was making to enthrone a proper value system in the state where the youth will stick to the 12 core values that have now become the article of faith for the youth.

These values he agreed with the organizers included the fear of God, patriotism, self- reliance, discipline, life, truth, liberty, justice, community, dignity of labour, religious and ethnic tolerance. and of course, love, adding that if they were internalized, the r youth would become the real change and transformation agent that they are.

In his community, Ozoigbo said they had done a lot of things in the areas of youth empowerment and skills acquisition,adding that he had big passion for the advancement of the youth who he said remains the hope of Nigeria.
“This kind of recognition is natural for me. I have big passion for the youth and I can tell you that if there’s going to be any hope for Nigeria,it is going to come from the youth.
” The youth must imbibe moral courage and go to equity with clean hands.
You must cultivate the habit of telling the truth at all times show love. fear God , and so on. You know the core values. They are now our articles of faith.
” I abandoned my comfort zone to come contest election because I was convinced that if the story of the black man must change in the world ,then Africa must change and Nigeria would be the beginning.
” Let’s in the o Nigeria and change the attitude of the people and at least society would be more meaningful.
” The youth became vulnerable when they left these core values in chase of mundane issues.
” The youth must dare to dream and lead the charge, you must follow what you are. It’s not enough celebrating people. There is need for value impartation in the state, nay ,Igbo land generally and we must put our acts together.
” The totality of the values could be summarizedin just one thing- character. It is the beginning of who we are , or about to become.
“It’s from character that we delve into intelligence, and abilities, -who are you in the first place , do people experience goodness from you.
“It’s important that the youth internalize these values than giving me an award.
” Added to this is competence. You have to seek for knowledge. learn a trade, go to school and act with convictions”, he admonished.
He expressed regrets that people no longer hunger for truth or make sacrifices to defend truth and prayed9 that Nigerian youth would succeed through hard work and faith in themselves, forgiveness and reconciliation in truth, and seriously lead the charge going forward.

Elsewhere in Ukpo, Dunukofia council area of Anambra state, the ASTUC youth wing also recognized six individuals from the six communities in the area with the Community Development Youth awards for their examplary conducts and commitment to the advancement of their communities.

They included Chief Okafor Nnamdi Chibuzor (Ukpo), Chief Fredrick Ezika, (Umunachi), Chief Olisa Adinnu, (Umudioka), Chief Igboanugo Christian Maduka ( Ukwulu),Dr. Vincent Udobi,(Ifite -dunu), and Onyemachi Augustine Nonyelu (Nawgu).
The chairman of the ocassion, Dr.Izuchukwu Nwabueze, while thanking the ASTUC youth wing for celebrating the role models in each of the state’s 177 communities, described the programme as significant and with an auspicious timing given the transformation initiated by the State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo.

He enjoined every segment of Anambra society to contribute meaningfully to the realization of the Soludo’s administration’s vision of creating a livable and prosperous home land.

He expressed the confidence that the youth were on the right track given that these days. the youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but indispensable partners in the building of today.

He said that every society that desired sustainable development must invest in its young people, not only by providing them with opportunities,but also by instilling in them values of discipline, integrity, industry , innovation, and service.
He noted that the nomination of one eminent youth for recognition in one community was not only significant, but had the effect of showing that the youth were ready for moral,social, and economic rebirth initiated by the Soludo administration of the state.
Furthermore, it shows he said that the youth are living an exemplary life worthy of emulation and recognition.
He commended the leadership of ASTUC youth wing for providing a credible grassroots platform that mobilizes young people for community service, leadership development, cultural preservation and civic responsibity.

” Your efforts in inaugurating leaders across our communities,recognizing role models,promoting positive values are commendable and deserve the support of every stakeholder”, he said.
He urged ASTUC youth to pursue and promote peace, security and community vigilance while working closely with traditional rulers, town unions, community leaders and security agencies to discourage crime, cultism, drug abuse, ritual practices , armed robbery and kidnapping among others.

The President of ASTUC youth wing, Comrade Ken Okoli had explained as he did while bestowing the Community Development Youth Award on Ozoigbo in Awka that the youth leaders in 2024 came up with the idea of governance and value system.
Thus, he said they decided to expatiate on the 12 core values already identified and which will serve as an article of faith for Anambra youth.
Thence. the youth leaders he said decided to identify individuals from Anambrs communities who embody these virtues in the article of faith using their own people who know them very closely and their antecedents.

“We decided to identify individuals from our communities who embody this articles of faith ,impacting positively in the development of their communities.
“They are serving as role models who the younger ones can emulate. and refrsin from drug addiction, ritual killings , kidnapping and other social vices.
” So why the state government is using the instrumentality of the law. we decided on a kind of non kinetic approach to compliment the efforts of the Governor in re- orientating our youth towards social transformation based on these values.
” Naturally ,we throw it open to the communities to do the searching and identify such role models with positive demeanor and contributions to community development.
” The communities later returned their verdicts which favoured all the recipients of the Community Development Youth awards so far and we concord because we know they merited their selection by their own people who know them inside out,” he said.