REVITALIZATION OF THE COMMUNITY BASED YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS BY NYCN ANAMBRA STATE.

NYCN Anambra State chapter goes grassroot with Anambra Community Based Youth Organization (ACBO).

Mazi Ejimofor Opara
Awka, November 2016

The Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Anambra State chapter, His Youthfulness, comrade Frank Maduka, has reiterated the need for the strengthening of youth organizations at the grass root. The Multiple award winning youth leader today inaugurated a special committee that will fashion out the modalities for a seamless incorporation of various youth community based organizations in the State into the mainstream Council activities.

This is coming on the heels of a growing awareness and demand among various youth bodies at the grassroot for a place in the Council. These youths had earlier in the year organized themselves under the aegies of "Anambra Community Based Youth Organizations" (ACBO) and have duly met all the constitutional requirements to be registered as a viable youth body under the NYCN in the State.

ACBO provides a viable platform for every organized youth body in all the communities in the State to team up with the Council for effective grassroot development. The Chairman in his remarks, frowned at the increasing proclivity of some town union PGs in imposing leaders on the youth who are unpopular and not duly elected. He further condemned the rather ignoble act by most town union PGs who label youths in their communities cultists and exploiting formal and informal security apparatuses in hounding any youth with differing opinion on community matter. This act, according to the Chairman, is inimical to grassroot development and needs to be corrected. He however, averred that ACBO will provide the youthful zest needed to drive development at the grassroot.

In his words, "ACBO will bridge the gap left unfilled by town unions, as the youth at the grassroot will for the first time be provided with the opportunity to elect their leaders who will in turn collaborate with our Fathers at the town unions; the result of which will be a vibrant youth grassroot organization that will work towards the growth and development of our communities and State at large". He allayed the fears of any form of brigandage in ACBO as has been purported by some PGs who take delight in polarizing and emasculating youth organizations at the grassroots for selfish reasons.

The committee headed by Comrade Arinze Omenwa has been given the mandate to ensure that every community in the State is equitably represented and to forge better ways of engaging various youth Community Based Organizations in the vision of the Council Chairman, which is to strengthen the followership of the State Youth Council from the base.

The coming days will see activities on the election and inauguration of ACBO executives and the official presentation of ACBO to the teeming youth population across the State.

According to the State Chairman of the NYCN, Comrade Frank Maduka, community based organization is the root of real development and must be encouraged by every forward looking leader.[b][/b]