By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Fresh controversy has erupted in Anambra State as a coalition of aggrieved participants in the state government’s flagship empowerment initiative, 1 Youth 2 Skills, has accused the Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr. Patrick Agha Mba, of alleged manipulation, injustice, and exclusion of genuine beneficiaries from the scheme.
The group, operating under the umbrella Coalition of Aggrieved 1 Youth 2 Skills Participants (CA-1Y2S), described the development as a calculated attempt to shortchange authentic trainees who diligently participated in the program, particularly those from the Chromatography and Media departments.
According to a press statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the coalition’s coordinator, Okonkwo Samuel, and secretary, Oraegbunam Ifeanyi, the affected participants expressed dismay that after over one year of active involvement in the initiative, they were suddenly informed that their categories were not recognized among the beneficiaries.
The statement, which lamented what it called a “clear case of betrayal and injustice,” alleged that the Youth Ministry under Agha Mba had sidelined those who underwent proper training, attended sessions, and promoted the initiative across the state, only to replace them with politically-favored individuals who never participated in the process. It further claimed that despite the eventual inclusion of some trainers in the list of beneficiaries, genuine participants were deliberately excluded, while names of non-participants were allegedly inserted in exchange for loyalty or financial benefits.
It was also alleged that the Commissioner had an arrangement with some of the “inserted” beneficiaries who did not participate in the program for a percentage-based sharing of the startup grants given to them, while allegations also emerged that some beneficiaries in the first batch of the program were also re-selected for the second batch.
Describing the entire process as “rife with favoritism, irregularities, and internal compromise,” the Coalition asserted that it possessed credible evidence, including attendance registers, media reports, and published contents on reputable outlets such as Daily News Reporters, to substantiate its claims. It, therefore, challenged the Ministry of Youth Development to release the authentic list of trained participants for public comparison with the final list of beneficiaries.
The aggrieved participants, while reaffirming their confidence in Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s leadership, urged him to personally intervene, investigate the matter, and redeem the integrity of his administration’s youth empowerment agenda. They called for the immediate sack and probe of the Commissioner for Youth, Patrick Agha Mba, and the constitution of an independent review committee to scrutinize the management of the 1 Youth 2 Skills program.
According to them, the essence of the governor’s initiative was being undermined by the actions of a few individuals allegedly manipulating the process for personal gain. The coalition vowed to continue pressing for accountability through lawful and media channels until justice is served, warning that they would not allow the “sweat and sacrifices of genuine participants to be buried under the carpet of corruption.” They threatened massive actions and demonstrations to further drive home their grievances if their voice of reason is sidelined.
They emphasized that their agitation was not an act of rebellion against the Soludo administration but a genuine demand for transparency, fairness, and restoration of integrity in the program.
“We are not fighting the government; we are fighting injustice,” the group maintained, urging the governor not to let “truth die in silence.” The statement ended with a symbolic Igbo proverb: “Ikpe malu eziokwu, aka azụ dị na ya” —meaning, even in truth, there is still hidden judgment.
Efforts by this reporter, Izunna Okafor, to get the reactions of the State Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr. Agha Mba, on the various allegations proved abortive, as he refused to pick calls or respond to messages of inquiry sent to him by the reporter. He later promised to revert to the reporter, but never did as at the time of this publication.
