Anambra Central Senatorial Zone -Why Princess Mbakwe Deserves The Seat

Youth leaders promote shared values, community service and a stronger future for Anambra

By Emeka Chiaghanam

As Anambra State marked 35 years since its creation, the Anambra State Town Unions Council Youth Wing, ASTUC Youth, turned the anniversary spotlight towards something beyond celebration; the values, people and young citizens shaping the future of the state.      

The event, held on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at Exotic Suites & Hotel, GRA, Onitsha, brought together community and youth leaders as part of activities marking Anambra@35.

The programme, organised in collaboration with the Police Campaign Against Cultism, Violence and Other Vices (POCACOV), featured an award presentation, a recitation challenge on the 12 core values of One Anambra, the unveiling of a book titled We Believe in Anambra, and the launch of the We Believe in Anambra music album.

The event also featured the introduction of POCACOV as a platform for addressing cultism, drug abuse and other social vices among young people.

 ‘Tomorrow is now’

President-General of ASTUC Youth Wing, Comrade Ken Okoli, said the initiative was designed to remind young people that they were not merely leaders of tomorrow but active participants in shaping the society today.

He said the celebration was about recognising the shared values that have helped define Anambra while also celebrating individuals from Onitsha South who had made meaningful contributions to their communities.

Okoli said the message from the state leadership was increasingly moving from simply encouraging citizens to speak up when they noticed something wrong to urging them to take action.

He challenged young people to practise the values they preached, describing Anambra people as the “Light of the Nation” and saying the 12 core values of One Anambra remained important to sustaining that identity.

According to him, ASTUC Youth had already visited eight local government areas and was taking the campaign across all 21 local government areas of the state.

He said the youth wing was particularly interested in strengthening the governance and value-system pillar by working more closely with local governments.

Okoli argued that local government remained a critical part of everyday life because it deals directly with issues such as the registration of births, deaths and marriages.

He said ASTUC Youth would therefore work with the third tier of government to encourage policies and programmes that would make these responsibilities more effective and deepen the culture of responsible citizenship at the grassroots.

Ezenkwu warns of consequences of moral decline  

Chairman of the occasion, Chief Linus Ezenkwu, praised the developmental strides of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo but said economic and physical development must go hand in hand with strong moral values.

Ezenkwu warned that Nigeria could face serious problems by 2040 if the decline in moral standards among young people was not addressed.

He recalled a time when, in his view, young people showed greater respect for elders, stronger fear of God and a deeper sense of responsibility.

He urged ASTUC Youth to take its campaign beyond local government headquarters and into wards and communities, saying young people needed to understand the values that could help build a peaceful and prosperous society.

Ezenkwu also called on youths to reject criminal activities and develop a stronger sense of belonging. He urged them to support efforts aimed at developing Anambra and described the state as a place with enormous potential.

Ahead of the August 29 local government elections, he appealed to residents to come out and vote, while expressing his support for APGA candidates.

Muofunanya: Recognition brings greater responsibility

The incoming Mayor of Onitsha South LGA, Hon. Ikechukwu Muofunanya (Ezeoba), who received a Special Recognition Award, described ASTUC Youth's work as an important contribution to society.

Muofunanya commended the leadership for using recognition as a way of encouraging people who were making positive contributions to their communities.

He said the award was not simply an honour but also motivation to do more, promising greater commitment, productivity and service to the people.

He said initiatives that recognised community builders could encourage more people, particularly young citizens, to contribute positively to society.

Nwora urges youths to reject drugs

The Mayor of Onitsha North LGA and APGA candidate for the Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency in the 2027 general election, Hon. Anthony Nwora, used the occasion to warn young people about the dangers of illicit drugs. He thanked ASTUC leadership for finding him worthy for recognition said more work need to be done and it must be carried out for the good of Anambra State.

Nwora described drug abuse as one of the most pressing problems facing communities and called for stronger cooperation between government, parents, community leaders and young people to tackle it.

He encouraged youths to pursue skills and legitimate opportunities rather than chase quick money, which he said could not provide a lasting future.

Nwora also spoke about his ambition to represent Onitsha North and South in the House of Representatives, saying effective representation should start with listening to constituents.

He said town hall meetings and regular meetings with stakeholders would help him understand the needs of the people and turn those concerns into legislation if elected.

His experience as a mayor, he added, had given him a better understanding of grassroots challenges and the responsibility that comes with representing the people.

Akpudo honoured as Onitsha South role model

Among those recognised at the event was Hon. James Ibezim Ibezimako Akpudo, APGA candidate for the Anambra State House of Assembly, Onitsha South Constituency II, who received a Role Model Award.

Akpudo stated that the recognition came with responsibility and promised to live up to the expectations attached to the honour.

Akpudo encouraged young people to embrace values, recognise positive examples around them and take greater responsibility for the future of their communities.

Regarding Akpudo’s emergence, Okoli had earlier highlighted that the outstanding role model from Onitsha South would automatically become the local government’s Star Role Model for the 2026 Anambra State Role Models recognition, noting that this would also apply to Onitsha North and Nnewi North where only one candidate emerges from the local government.

Another political figure, Hon. Uzoma Innocent Eli, APGA candidate for Onitsha South Constituency I, received the Leadership and Community Service Award.

A role model as a mirror for the younger generation

Earlier, in his address, ASTUC Youth Mayor of Onitsha South, Hon. Comrade Chiadikobi Dunu, noted that the celebration was intended to honour individuals whose lives demonstrated excellence, integrity, selfless service and commitment to community development.

Dunu described a role model as a “mirror” through which young people could see the kind of future they wanted for themselves.

He said such recognition should not be seen merely as an award but as a call to greater responsibility, urging those honoured to continue inspiring the younger generation through hard work, discipline, humility and service.

For ASTUC Youth, the wider ambition is now to take that message beyond Onitsha South and into communities across Anambra; turning the state's 35th anniversary into an opportunity not only to celebrate its past, but to shape the values that will determine its future.