The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Anambra State Chapter has conferred Anambra Youth Commander Award on the Prime Minister of the Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU) Amb. Chief Dr. Johnny Metchie for his outstanding cum sterling contributions to human capital development.
The award which was presented to Johnny Metchie at the one-day youth summit held in Awka, the state capital at the weekend, was in recognition of his numerous empowerment programmes, scholarship schemes and other philanthropic gestures for youths which he sees as his immediate constituency.
The leadership of the Anambra State Chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) who was cognisant of the invaluable contributions of the ASATU prime minister in ensuring that youths channeled their energy and strength to meaningful ventures in order to protect and secure their future, said Amb. Johnny Metchie was carefully selected for the special award because of his commitment and concern for youth development.
The State Chairman of the NYCN in Anambra, Comrade Chukwudi Obi who spoke through his Deputy, noted that what Johnny Metchie is doing to redirect and reorientate youths to disabuse their minds from vices inimical and detrimental to their dreams and aspirations is in line with the transformational policies of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo intended to give youths a new lease of life.
He said the governor recently empowered 5000 young persons who graduated from the One Youth Two Skills Capacity Building Programme; that this is one of the striking characteristics of the ASATU prime minister, who he said, has committed his personal resources in the development and emancipation of youths from poverty and penury.
He therefore added that the Anambra Youth Commander Award was bestowed on Amb. Chief Dr. Johnny Metchie to recognise and appreciate his giant strides in youth empowerment and to encourage him to do more to ameliorate the plights of youths in the society.
Responding to the award, Johnny Metchie, who is also the President-General of Umueri community in Anambra-East Local Government Area as well as the Deputy Commander-General of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) said the award is indeed special to him because it is given to him by the youths, his immediate constituency.
Metchie who was represented on the occasion by his Special Assistant Mr. Joshua Winner, thanked the Anambra State Chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) for the prestigious award, saying that the award would spur him to embark on more projects that would bring positive change in the lives of Anambra youths as well as youths across Nigeria.
The African Director of International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA) however urged youths to take charge of their destinies and see Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo as their role model.
He advised them to shun the fast lane syndrome but uphold the virtues of hard work, diligence, perseverance, uprightness and always pray to God for divine intervention as he believes that youths are occupying leadership positions and contributing their own quota to societal development as clearly evident in the Soludo administration where he observed that youths occupy positions of authority in government.
