By Emeka Chiaghanam
Ken Okoli says character must grow
alongside Anambra’s physical development
The Anambra State Town Unions Council Youth Wing
(ASTUC Youth) has honoured 15 distinguished personalities from the 15
communities in Orumba South Local Government Area, using the occasion to urge
young people to embrace positive values, responsible citizenship and the
examples set by people making a difference in their communities.
The event, held at the Orumba South Local Government Council
Secretariat, Umunze, on Friday, September 11, 2026, was part of ASTUC Youth’s
continuing campaign, “Celebrating Our Community Shared Values and Anambra
Community Role Models from the Fifteen Communities in Orumba South LGA.”
Leading the message at the event, ASTUC Youth
President-General, Comrade Ken Okoli, said the initiative was not simply
about giving recognition to successful individuals, but about helping young
people find real examples of integrity, service and achievement within their
own communities.
Okoli said the Orumba South event was part of a wider
campaign taking ASTUC Youth to the 179 communities across Anambra State’s 21
local government areas.
“Coming to Orumba South is a continuation of our movement to
the various 179 communities under the 21 Local Government Councils of Anambra
State,” he said.
Okoli: Development needs the right
people to sustain it
According to Okoli, the campaign is built around the belief
that a society can make progress only when its young people have the values and
character needed to sustain that progress.
He said Anambra was known as the “Light of the Nation” and
that young people needed to understand the values that had shaped the identity
of Ndi Anambra.
“We are communicating these values to the young people we
are leading, while at the same time identifying those who are living exemplary
lives worthy of emulation,” he said.
Okoli linked the campaign to the development vision of
Governor Chukwuma Soludo, particularly the emphasis on good governance and
value systems.
He said measures introduced by the administration to tackle
negative influences affecting young people had also made it necessary for youth
leaders to promote positive alternatives.
ASTUC Youth, he explained, had adopted the principle of “One
Community, One Person, One Year”, through which outstanding individuals are
identified and celebrated as examples for younger people.
“We go to the various local government councils, present
their role models and also present to them the values that make us Ndi Anambra.
There are 12 of these values,” he said.
Okoli said Orumba South was the 11th local government
council reached by the campaign, adding that ASTUC would continue until all 21
local government areas had been covered.
He stressed that roads, buildings and other physical
infrastructure would mean little if the generation expected to maintain them
lacked the right mindset.
“Whatever structure, infrastructure or physical amenities
you put in a place as a government, if you don't have the right people,
especially young people with the right mindset to sustain the infrastructure
development, then it will be a problem,” he said.
For Okoli, the real investment was in people.
“A child is born today, and that child is a leader,” he
said, adding that young people properly grounded in character and values could
preserve existing achievements while taking them further.
Nnaka urges youths to reject
distractions and seize opportunities
The Chairman of the occasion, Hon. Sir Stanislaus Nnaka,
KSJI (Nze Chinyelugo I Ogboji), praised ASTUC Youth for creating a platform
that recognises people who have contributed to youth development.
Nnaka, who is the APGA candidate for the Anambra State
House of Assembly, Orumba South Constituency, said young people needed
positive role models, determination and opportunities to move forward.
Reflecting on his own youth, he said people needed
individuals they could look up to while growing up.
He said the recognition should encourage other stakeholders
to invest in young people and promote activities that could improve their
lives.
“Any opportunity you are given, you should maximise it for
further opportunities,” Nnaka said.
He urged young people to remain patient and committed,
stressing that success was built over time and not achieved through shortcuts.
Nnaka also spoke about his plans for young people if elected
in 2027, saying his experience as a former youth and student leader had given
him an understanding of the challenges facing them.
He promised to support youth participation in governance,
training and agricultural programmes.
“I believe that the youths will be carried along. They are
to be part of our governance and whatever we are going to do,” he said.
He, however, urged young people to avoid social vices and
demonstrate the determination needed to move from one stage of life to another.
Youth Mayor: There is no shortcut to
success
The Youth Mayor of Orumba South, Comrade Uzor Chidozie
Bernard, also challenged young people to reject violence, drug abuse, crime
and other activities capable of destroying their future.
Bernard, who welcomed guests to the celebration, said the
event was an opportunity to honour people whose achievements and community
service provided useful examples for younger generations.
He said true success should be measured not only by wealth
or titles but by the lives people touch and the legacy they leave behind.
He encouraged youths to embrace education, vocational
training, technology, agriculture, entrepreneurship and other legitimate
opportunities.
“Our youths need opportunities to prove themselves. They
need mentorship and platforms where their talents can flourish,” he said.
Bernard also appealed to political leaders, traditional
institutions, business owners and philanthropists to invest more in youth
development through education, employment, mentorship, skills and business
opportunities.
Role models call for responsible youth
development
Among those honoured was High Chief Vincent Nwankwo,
the Oneh community role model, who commended ASTUC Youth for its efforts to
educate and mentor young people.
Speaking through his media aide, Hon. Chucks Muokwe,
Nwankwo said his foundation had remained committed to supporting
underprivileged people, particularly youths.
He said the Nze Vincent Nwankwo Foundation would continue to support young people and encourage them to
become useful contributors to their communities.
Another honouree, Hon. Chimaobi Ucheagwu, the Ihite
community role model, praised Okoli for what he described as transformative
leadership and efforts to promote positive values among Anambra youths.
Ucheagwu said the initiative was helping prepare young
people for a better future while positioning the state for greater development.
Mr Michael Ibeto, a community youth leader from
Owerre-Ezukala and lecturer at Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe,
described the event as successful and said it had achieved its purpose.
Ibeto said the campaign was particularly important amid
pressure on young people to pursue quick wealth.
He urged youths to reject questionable ways of making money,
saying wealth alone was not a measure of success and that a good name remained
valuable.
He said the honourees had built their achievements through
hard work, patience and perseverance, urging young people to learn from their
journeys.
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