Ogbunike Philanthropist advise Youths to Embrace Soludo’s 1 Youth 2 Skills, Checkmate Insecurity

..As Azu-Ogbunike Inaugurates Umuchimereze Agegrade

By Uzo Ugwunze

The newly inaugurated Umuchimereze Agegrade of Azu Ogbunike village, Ogbunike, Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State has been tasked to embrace Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s 1 Youth 2 Scheme and also join in the fight against insecurity, social vices and criminality.

Facts emerged Wednesday that the agegrade system in Igbo land is also used to check mate insecurity in ccommunities despite its major role of assisting in communal development.

Making this disclosure to newsmen during the maiden outing of Umuchimereze Agegrade, Azu Ogbunike community, the President of the agegrade, Nwizu Nebolisa, stated that the agegrade system 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 Chimereze age grade, our motto is peace and love, we are unified, unitied 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 plan 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.

Contributing, a philantropist and chairman on the occasion that was held at Azu Ogbunike community Hall, Chief Michael Obiekwe, (Mmirioma), said that the age grade system assisted immensely in fighting crime and criminality in the community.

Obiekwe who is the Director of highways, Anambra State Ministry of Works said that he was ready to assist the agegrade when called upon to do so pointing out that the agegrade helps in reforming the youths.

“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.

“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.

He enjoined them not to relent in their effort to be their Brothers’ keeper urging those without meaningful business to embrace the 1 Youth 2 Skills scheme as a panacea for idleness and criminal tendencies.

Earlier, one 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 Adigwe, 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 expet 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 village, 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 Umunkwo Ezekwulu, stated that, “We expect that they will do great things to this community, we pray that their agegrade will be among tbe best in our community. Culture has not gone into extinction they are being modernized, though 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 inauguration and that is how is still being done.”

Obinna Onunkwo, the CEO- Alobu farm Nig. 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 Onuknkwo. 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.

“I give scholarship to secondary schools from JS 1 to 6, you can see that it is good to be emulated,” he stated.

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 hm out, help themselves financially, we pray that their inauguration today will bring peace, progresd,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 thng 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.