NYCN Ebonyi Chairman Urges Youth to Support Government Policies, Warns Against Arson

The Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ebonyi State Chapter, Comrade Douglas Ochishi, has called on youths in the state to demonstrate positive attitudes by supporting the progressive policies and programmes of the present administration, which is anchored on the People’s Charter of Needs and the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Comrade Ochishi made the appeal during an interactive session with journalists at the NYCN Annex Office located at the Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki. He urged youths to show responsibility and commitment by taking bold steps towards meaningful ventures, especially in areas where they have been entrusted with leadership or community roles. The youth leader issued a stern warning against arson, describing it as a criminal act that attracts strict punishment under the law. He cautioned young people against bush burning and destruction of property, especially during the harmattan season when fire outbreaks can spread unpredictably, resulting in extensive damage to lives and property. Speaking on the NYCN’s 2026 Strategic Plan, Comrade Ochishi revealed that next year’s activities would be “superb and impactful,” with programmes spanning Agriculture Roundtable discussions, Security Dialogues, quarterly zonal and statewide council meetings, the 2026 International Youth Week, youth and student mentorship outreaches, Business Roundtable engagements, and other initiatives aimed at equipping young people with first-hand mentorship and leadership skills. He reiterated the NYCN’s unwavering confidence in the commitment of the Ebonyi State Government under Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. According to him, the administration has made remarkable strides in rural access road construction, water reticulation, youth empowerment, sports development including the emergence of Abakaliki FC and the Rice Boys—scholarship opportunities for national and international studies, payment of long-standing gratuity and pension arrears, annual Christmas largesse to citizens, investor attraction efforts, and plans to revive Nigercem. Comrade Ochishi also commended the governor for promoting peace across communities and embarking on landmark projects such as the major tunnel bridge at Vanco and the Enyim Agbaja Autonomous Community River, which links Ebonyi to Benue State. He urged the youth and the general public to support the administration of Governor Nwifuru by shunning violence, media calumny, and all forms of misinformation capable of causing division and igniting crisis. He emphasized that Ebonyi youths must remain united, responsible, and forward-looking, standing tall among their counterparts across the 36 states of the federation regardless of political or social differences.