Age Grade Helps In Reforming Youths Says Engr Obiekwe

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

The State Director of Highways, Ministry of works, Engr. Michael Obiekwe, (Mmirioma), said that age grade system helps in reforming youths and assist immensely in fighting crime and criminality in the community.

Obiekwe said this at Azu Ogbunike Hall during the maiden outing of Umuchimereze Age Grade, Azu Ogbunike Community in Oyi Local Government Area

He also informed that he is ready to assist the age grade when called upon to do so pointing out that age grade helps in reforming the you

“They will be able to contribute to all diverse ways for the development of the community. We now have future leaders, the people we can now count upon to assist the unemployed. I will give them mentorship where needed. I am going to support them to see that their goals are actualized,” he affirmed.

“They should galvanize all well meaning people to see that this Organization is successful. They will continue to be agents of change. They can be able to fight crimes, vices , these are the reasons why these agegrades are formed, to see that they are meaningful to the community, society at large.

He enjoined them not to relent in their effort but to continue in their good work, meetings and campaign for non members to join them to better the welfare of the people in the community.

Similarly, the Chairman of the new age grade, Nwizu Nebolisa said that agegrade system in Igbo land is used to checkmate insecurity in communities despite its major role of assisting in communal development, also assist indigent members both in kind and cash.

“With this first outing our expectation is to move forward, bring peace, unity, progress in the community. We, the Umuchimereze age grade, our motto is peace and love, we are unified, unified In all ramifications, both the rich and small, this is the first of its kind, it is never done this way before. It is the way we planned it, to bring people together.

“In terms of forming cooperative society, we have members who are financially buoyant, to pay for the dues of indigent agegrade members, we provide our age grade uniform free of charge to them, we have mission to help the members of our agegrade, so that they will be like others, we have so many missions, our agegrade is from 1990- 95(Umuchimereze Azu Ogbunike agegrade,” he stated.

Earlier, Mrs Ogechukwu , a representative of Adaobi Ijere Ngozi Chukwuka, (Eze nwanyi ), stated that, “I represent her as Nne Ogbo, Umuchimereze, we expect peace, love, togetherness among them. The woman I represent is a woman with heart of gold,” she disclosed further.

Ekene Adibe, Chairman Ijele Football Club, said that, ” Adaobi ijele is our mother, also mother to this Umuchimereze age grade, so we decided to come and be with her in today’s event. We expect this new age grade to be in unity, progress love, that’s our prayer to them.
Adaobi ijele is the sponsor of our football club,” he hinted.

Engr. Sunny Chijioke, Vice President of Azu ogbunike, said that, “We expect the new agegrade to be right in whatever they are doing. God has already blessed them, the community in general, we have been the pillar of Ogbunike, we put barricade, to secure our place and fight insecurity,” he stated.

Ogbuefi Onunkwo Ezewulu, stated that, “We expect that they will do great things to this community, we pray that their agegrade will be among the best in our community. Culture has not gone into extinction but they are being modernized, though this their own is more celebrated than ours and I pray that they will continue this way.”

Mr chidiebere Okafor, chairman Utonwanne agegrade, said that culture, (Omenala), is not going into extinction, rather in Ogbunike is now more pronounced, adding, “Our forefathers did agegrade outing and that is how is still being done.”

Obinna Onunkwo, the CEO- Alobu Farm Ltd, commended the agegrade for the able way she selected her pillars and chairmen stating that, “It shows that they have foresight, we expect them to come together and carry out a gigantic project in this community.

Also Chief Onunkwo, a community leader, stated that, ” I am like the father of the day, my grandson is a member of this agerade, Onyeka Onunkwo. I advise the members to bring themselves together, omenala is our culture, cannot go into extinction, agegrade is very important so that you can join your mates in whatever that is going on in the community.

Chief Obidi Onyezia, a philantropist , said they will bring themselves together, “Omenala is our culture, and cannot go into extinction, agegrade is very important so that you can join your mates in whatever that is going on in the community,

On the scholarship scheme, he said he gives scholarship to secondary schools from JS 1 to 6, ” You can see that it is good to be emulated. At least when these people come out of higher institutions, they will impact on community development.

Eng Aniekwena Ikenna, stated that, “This is what we did during our time, what they are doing is our culture and we support them, everybody has his age grade and since they have belonged to one. It will help them to organise themselves, teach themselves not to be involve in social vices.

“Anybody involve in bad thing, they will help to bring him out, help themselves financially, we pray that their inauguration today will bring peace, progress,unity in Azu Ogbunike,” he prayed

Mrs Lady Chu Anaekwe, said that, I” am one of their pillars, I am happy for them for this thing they are doing here today, even their masquerade they displayed, they did beyond their age. This is to make everybody happy, the community is looking up to them, they should do anything that will bring progress in this community,” she charged them.

Presentation of awards to many dignitaries and displayed of Umuchimereze masquerade added colour to the event

Pic 1 shows presentation of award to Engr Obiekwe the chairman of Umuchimereze age grade

Pic 11 shows group photograph