Anulika Ekweozor-Udegbunam | I-Witness News
President of Anambra State Association of Town Unions – Youth Wing (ASATU Youth), Comrade Ken Okoli alongside his executive members have resolved to end the era of caretaker youth leaderships in communities in the state.
Okoli made the revelation yesterday through a press statement sent to all the youth leaders in the state via their whatsapp platform. He said that individuals who have occupied the youth leadership positions in their communities in acting capacity beyond two or three months were no more fit to remain in such offices stressing that such persons no longer serve the interest of the town but of those who appointed them.
” We have spent more than 2 years in office, yet more than 50 members refused to either go for election or leave the stage for others to come on board. Yet most of them have no value to add in their community. They are just occupying space with no value to the community and the youths. This is unacceptable to us as a serious organization dedicated to serving our homeland Anambra via our various communities”.
He alleged that about 95 percent of appointed youth leaders do not serve the interest of their communities but their personal and that of their masters.
Said he, ” Experience has shown that 95 per cent of appointed youth leaders can not call for a town hall meeting for the youths or hold a meeting of the community youth leadership because they lack the capacity to do such. The truth is that an appointed youth leader is not representing the interest of the youths but rather the interest of the person that appointed him as the youth leader. This is in total variance with the provisions of the Asatu Youth Bye-law 2023, which clearly specified that a community youth leader shall be elected to serve his community on a given tenure.”
” However, we will commence the process of facilitating elections in those affected communities within the next 60 days. Within this period we want all the affected communities to hold election for the youths. I shall write officially to Mr Commissioner, Ministry of Youth Development Awka and the National President of ASATU and request their supports as usual.”
” I had an opportunity to make a presentation to the ASATU parent body in their general meeting held on the 1st March 2025, I appealed to them to facilitate the election of their town union youth wings so as to deepen the community governance structure that aligns with Mr Governor’s principles on governance and value system”.
Moreover, he informed that plans were underway for hosting of leadership retreat and facilitation of monthy stipends for the elected youth leaders from the state government.
