As the world celebrates International Day of Peace, the youths maintain a focal point for its Global Sustainability. In this interview with Mr. Ihuoma Okoronkwo Amaike, the Youth National President of Mgboko –Anya In Nigeria And Diaspora, Mr. Ndubueze Levi Amaechi speaks on The Unity of Purpose, Peace Initiative that envelop youthful exuberance. Excerpts:
How did you emerge as the Interim Youth National President of Mgboko Anya Autonomous Community?
Firstly, My name is Mr. Ndubueze Amaechi, a Christian, a successful business man, a service provider in the maritime sector, a native of Umu-Nwankwocha Village, Mgboko Anya Autonomous Community in Obi Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia State. A seasoned maritime stakeholder, customs broker and a licensed Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agent based in Port Harcourt. I am married to my wife and I have children.
It was a surprise to everyone including myself how I finally emerged as the Interim Youth National President of Mgboko Anya Autonomous Community home based and Diaspora. We had engaged ourselves in an online meeting where brothers in the Diaspora had the opportunity to discuss peace and development with some of us here in Nigeria; I didn’t bargain for any elective office likewise all members of my executive. At the beginning I nominated someone for the office of the president who later became my deputy, his consent was sought and approval given, then someone nominated me and other nominations followed suit with all the support from all participating youths. I was surprised that as soon as voting was about to commence, my own candidate, the first nominee, declined that he cannot stand an election with me and similarly the third nominee declined and withdrew, hence, I became an interim youth president unopposed. There was no campaign so to speak, no lobbying, no squabble and skirmishes but a free online exercise so peaceful to reckon with. I have seen that the whole exercise meant peace, it was for the peaceful minded youths in search of a peaceful co-existence and the growth of Mgboko Anya Autonomous Community. The youths themselves are solidly behind me and that is the reason why I will not let them down within the time frame of the interim.
As the Interim Youth National President of Mgboko Anya, what are the challenges of the youths within the community and in the Diaspora?
Our youths have come up with a national platform that coordinates our activities to eschew violence and embrace unity of purpose. We need empowerment so to speak; some amongst us are poor farmers without farming inputs and have no better means of livelihood to take care of themselves and their families. Others who are self-employed need soft loans to facilitate and accommodate economic fluctuations in their daily businesses. The employment to public and civil service within my community is very poor looking at our population, no public servant can boast of any investment due to poor remuneration and the inability of the government to pay them as at when due. For our youths in Diaspora, they are all doing well and we congratulate them. However, there has been this long insinuation that nothing survives in the Nigerian economy, and so most of them are afraid to make investments that can sustain and survive the teeming population at home. I encourage them to look beyond this insinuation and share in our dreams that things are getting better. With the emergence of our new king, the national body and the efforts of the newly constituted executives, we are getting more organised than ever and we promise nothing but the best we can to judiciously oversee and preserve every channel of their investments at home for the survival of the system we find ourselves in. Our children need scholarship grants from wherever, most families are still struggling to produce their first graduate while a few are off the track due to death of their family breadwinners and other challenges. The youths had to be better organised first and from there, we move forward.
What developmental projects has your community embarked on or contributed in the past?
In the past, we were one of the first fifteen (15) villages that made up Mgboko Umuanunu Ancient Kingdom. We were the first son known as “Opara-Ukwu” Mgboko Umuanunu and as the first son; we not only participated fully in every developmental project, we led others to every achievement the ancient community reckoned with in the time past. From the time of Obioha (i) of Mgboko Umuanunu, His Royal Highness, Eze F.N. Ogudoro, to the time of late Obioha (ii) His Royal Highness Sir (Major) F. A. C Osuji, of blessed memory, our fathers shouldered great responsibility as the first son “Opara-Ukwu,” we never pulled out or denied participation. Most of our youths may not be aware of all these contributions from our father to our Mgboko Umuanunu ancient kingdom. For emphasis, The Nenu Water Project was a community based pipe-borne water project that runs throughout the 15 villages and even more except Mgboko Anya due to our geographical location, the establishment of Nenu Community Secondary School, Umunkiri Community Secondary School and Mgboko Umuanunu Community Secondary School were all community based projects that facilitated education of children from the ‘80s till date but none was cited in Mgboko Anya. Levies that were sometimes shared according to our hierarchy instead of our numerical strength did not bother our parents then and by records we invested much before becoming an autonomous community. Our mothers strongly supported our fathers they were sometimes mandated to raise funds like other women and cook for labourers during the execution of these projects; several head-pan of sand became mandatory for women or its cash equivalent provided and lots more. In fact no village then queried our first position in all spheres of development in our ancient kingdom. These projects helped to develop all these villages yet Mgboko Anya was the first son and that is why our youths need to rise up to these responsibilities as children of the first born.
With our present executives, what plans have you made to move your community forward?
Having embraced peace at all levels, and invested much in our ancient kingdom, we have outlined some community based projects and we expect our brothers from our ancient Kingdom, local government and state government to come to our aid. We seek to open up more roads for community development in Mgboko Anya Autonomous Community and hence attract the establishment of any viable economic establishment to boost our livelihood from our state government. The ‘Egbelu Road’ known as Uzo-Egbelu, a link road from Umugba and Umu-Ugoala Villages to our neighbouring communities in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area needs a dredger to expand and open up a commercial channel of commerce to link Umuagu-Omoba daily market. Many families are already waiting for this opportunity to enable them to expand their places of residence in view of the overcrowded settlements we suffer by virtue of our teeming population.
Uzo-Iyi is another link road that needs attention, the road leads to the stream known as ‘Iyi-Emi’ from Umu-Nwanju/Umu-Ezuruike/Umu-Osuka Villages. This road will expand the community and create rooms for residential houses and an agricultural enabled environment which is the mainstay of our rural economy at the moment in view of the stream ‘Iyi-Emi’ for future irrigation projects.
The road that cuts across Mgboko-Oria-efula through ‘Ohia Ncheke’ in Umu-Nwankwocha Village if properly constructed has more commercial values than others in Mgboko Anya Autonomous Community. This is because it leads us by the right to Mgboko Ngwa Amaise Autonomous Community (Akpuga), to the left we access Owuwa Anyanwu Autonomous Community (Umuokoro) in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area. Going forward you have approached the major Tony Ururuka Road/New Umuahia Road through Mgboko Oriaefula and Azuogwugwu in Mgboko Umuanunu, our ancient community.
These are the projects we set to embark on and it is for our collective interest and development that these discussions were digressed. We need the support of Track-Care Construction Company and other well meaning agencies, friends,’ individuals and government to achieve all these.
The traditional ruler and his cabinet, are they aware of these beautiful plans by your executive?
We planned to pay a courtesy visit to the palace of the Obioha (ii) of Mgboko Anya Autonomous Community, His Royal Highness Eze Silas Osuka and tender our plans to his cabinet for consent and approval. Knowing our royal father as a man of action and impact, yes, a retired soldier for that matter, highly disciplined and unassuming, we have the conviction that the Eze and his cabinet will support these developmental projects knowing the multiplier effects so to speak. At the moment we have not done that and we cannot execute any of these projects without his approval and support as far as Mgboko Anya Autonomous Community is concerned.
In what areas do you think the youths of your community can come together and become united?
Over the years, we are known for football competition within all the zones in our community. It has become a norm that our MAFAN league which features every December has to be sustained, our youths are willing and eager to display their skills and body physique in football. We intend to properly organise and boost MAFAN 2021 and beyond football tournaments for the unity and growth of our community. We want to see how far we can assist those whose parents cannot afford school fees for their children and seek to register an investment plethora that will enable some of us to access funds for our local businesses and enterprises.
When do you think is convenient to conduct a general election of the youths at the national level?
We have a tentative plan to meet at home this coming December for an all round discussion with the youths, it is there the whole plans will roll out. The people’s decision will definitely stand as it concerns our end of tenure and the beginning of another. I have no powers to take that decision for now.