By Polycarp Ifeanyi, Onitsha
As Nigerians particularly in Igboland are currently battling with economic hardship, the founder of Divine Illumination Integrated Concept Incorporated, Evangelist Theo Rays Ejikeme has called on all Nigerian youth especially Igbo youth to innovate new idea to salvage Ndigbo from hardship.
He made the call during the inauguration of Anambra State version of youth rendezvous for greater Igbo advancement which featured lecture on capacity building.
The event which titled; The Youth as a Brand of Possibilities, Overcomer and Champions was under the distinguished Chairmanship of Barrister Justus Ijeoma and was held at Onitsha Holiday Resort, Okpoko junction, Asaba Expressway, Onitsha, Anambra State.
Evangelist Ejikeme said that the current economic hardship in Nigeria mostly in Igboland was worsening which he said nobody could profer solution to. He said that people were no longer capable of doing spiritual work, leadership work and physical work.
He maintained that youth being the worst victim of the hardship should not be silent, saying that they should do something on their own, organise themselves to find a lasting solution to what is happening in Nigeria particularly in Igboland.
” So, what I am saying is that, we should stop looking for what we have. We should start looking for what we don’t have because in most cases, what we pick on the road could give us success and solve more than what we have.
In Nigeria, we are looking for politicians who will win election or who have been wining election and holds position, but they are not providing any solution and things are getting worse. So, lets look for something new, “the Evangelist said.
The keynote speaker of the event, Comrade Aloysius Attah affirmed that youth in Nigeria is an endangered species, saying that many of them have gone the wrong way considering the staggering statistics of youths that are unemployed and are also into criminal activities and drug use.
He revealed that about 53.40% of youths are unemployed according to youth unemployment rates released by National bureau of statistics in 2022, even as he said National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) equally revealed that in the statistics, 40 percent of Nigerian youth between 18 and 35 years are deeply involved in the abuse of drugs.
The South East zonal Chairman of Civil Liberty Organization emphasized that there is an emergency situation at hand that requires serious tactical steps to remedy, enumerating total surrender to God through His Son our Lord Jesus Christ, education, agriculture, sports and industry with the virtues of honesty, brotherly love and togetherness as the outright remedy.
Also speaking, the resource person, Prince Chinedu Nsoffor ( Nzedike of Oraifite) emphasized profoundly on the need of Ndigbo to be enroll in the Igboebinie project.
He recalled that Ndigbo had fought war with Guns, Matchets and Bombs, saying that this time around, they should fight war with natural intellectual, and Igbo sense which he said metamorphosis into Igboebinie project PLC.
The President of Igboebinie plc explained that Igboebinie project is Igbo survival formula which according to him anchored in nine Ideology; zero corruption, Unity is strength, Be your brother’s keeper amongst other.
He said that there is what called Igboebinie Farm settlement at Achalla in Awka North which he said would showcase the vision and achieve food security for Ndigbo.
” Igboebinie is all about investment. It is not a talk show. It is a miracle. It is dealing with the parable of multipling talents through investments. The Board of Directors of 40 Strong men and women are all over Igboland. Other Ndigbo are also investing #100,000 per block or maximum of #1million for 10 block” Said Prince Nsoffor.
Similarly, Hon. Mrs Grace Aniekwe a.k.a Madam Black urged youths to be seriously focused and be relevant in their talents as well as called on the various traditional rulers to come up with new things to make Igboland free from hardship.
Others who spoke and aligned with Nsoffor in his call for Ndigbo to join in Igboebinie projects included; Chief Ikechukwu Augustine Udo, representative of State Chairman of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Moses Ezedebego, Pastor, Vincent Ogboma, Youth leader, Organization of Africa Indigenous Church, Onyeka Ezeokonkwo, Youth Wing Christian Association of Nigeria, Anambra State chapter, Azuka Ekwe, and Anambra State Chairman of Civil Liberty Organization, Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme.
High point of the event was fervent prayers offered to youth by Lord Mayor, Archbishop Mike Chukwudum.
