By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki.
The National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ebonyi State Chapter, has thrown its weight behind Governor Francis Nwifuru’s bid for a second term in 2027, citing ongoing infrastructure, education, youth empowerment and human-capital development projects across the state.
The youth body, however, urged the Ebonyi State Government to urgently address mounting environmental sanitation concerns in Abakaliki and put in place a coordinated response to the growing presence of vulnerable persons, including people with apparent mental-health challenges, on the streets of the state capital.
The NYCN Chairman, Comrade Douglas Ochishi, stated this on Tuesday while addressing journalists at the council’s office at Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki.
Ochishi said the council’s position on the 2027 election was informed by what he described as the visible impact of the Nwifuru administration’s People’s Charter of Needs agenda, particularly in infrastructure and human-capital development.
He said the governor’s record should be evaluated against concrete projects being executed across the state, rather than political claims or partisan narratives.
According to him, projects around Iziogo Market, including the flyover tunnel towards the Benue/Abuja Road, the bridge nearing completion at the Ebonyi-Benue boundary at Onuenyim Agbaja in Enyim Agbaja Community, and road projects around Obvudechi and adjoining communities were among the interventions deserving public attention.
“If you go to Iziogo Market, you will see the flyover tunnel traversing towards the Benue/Abuja Road. If you go to the Ebonyi-Benue boundary at Onuenyim Agbaja in Enyim Agbaja Community, you will see a bridge nearing completion, together with the adjoining road from Iziogo,” Ochishi said.
He also cited the road projects stretching from Mile 4 Hospital towards Oterufe and adjoining communities, alongside scholarship, youth empowerment and other human-capital initiatives.
“Indeed, Governor Nwifuru has worked. His second term should be an opportunity to fine-tune, consolidate and further improve the gains of the administration for the continued development of Ebonyi State,” the NYCN chairman said.
But while endorsing the governor, Ochishi called for tougher government action on environmental degradation and the welfare of vulnerable persons in Abakaliki.
He urged the Ministries of Environment and Internal Security and other relevant agencies to develop a coordinated mechanism for identifying, assessing and assisting persons with apparent mental-health challenges who are living or moving around major streets.
He advocated medical assessment, rehabilitation and, where necessary, safe relocation from the streets, stressing that such interventions must be humane, lawful and respectful of the dignity and rights of the affected persons.
The youth leader also urged security agencies to investigate reports of the possible movement of vulnerable persons into Abakaliki during the night and establish whether any individuals or groups were involved in abandoning, transporting or exploiting them.
On sanitation, Ochishi expressed concern over refuse accumulation at parts of the metropolis, urging the Ministry of Environment and relevant local authorities to step up waste evacuation, environmental monitoring and drainage maintenance.
He specifically mentioned areas around Kpirikpiri, opposite St Patrick Catholic Church, the rear of the International Market around Lots 2 and 3, and adjoining streets as requiring immediate attention.
He warned that indiscriminate dumping of refuse and blocked drainage channels could undermine the state capital’s urban-renewal efforts, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall.
Ochishi said regular waste evacuation, desilting of drains and effective enforcement of environmental regulations were necessary to maintain a clean, safe and orderly capital.
As the 2027 elections draw closer, he said the NYCN would continue to engage Ebonyi youths on governance and development, urging them to pay attention to the policies and projects of political leaders.
“It is time to plough, not to plunder. Our collective responsibility is to support initiatives that promote development, empower our youths and build a stronger Ebonyi State,” he stated.
