Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The All Progressives Congress House of Representatives candidate for the Idemili North/Idemili South Federal Constituency in the 2027 general elections, Kingsley Ezekwelu, has pledged to organise a six-month workshop to reorient, transform and empower youths through legitimate means, saying the growing obsession with quick money has eroded the values that once held society together and must be addressed before any empowerment initiative can succeed.
Ezekwelu made the pledge on Sunday while addressing constituents at a thank-you rally held at Udoh Nkolafia Field in Awka-Ettiti, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State. He said the emergence of the quick-money syndrome had led many young people to abandon the core values, norms and work ethic that guided previous generations, and that a change of mindset was a necessary precondition for any meaningful empowerment programme. "The youth workshop is the passion I have for reorienting, redeveloping, and refocusing our youth towards the main issues, towards the main theme of rebuilding their lives and anchoring it on hard work, merit, perseverance, and loyalty through proper tutelage," Ezekwelu said.
He was candid about the scale of the problem. "Our youth now, because of the emergence of quick money syndrome, have left the core values, the norms that guide our society, which is predicated on hard work," he said. He argued that empowerment without reorientation was futile, because recipients would treat any support they received as a parting gift to be squandered rather than as capital to be invested. "Before you empower a youth, first change his mindset so that he resolves within himself that he wants to succeed and wants to do better," he said. "If we don't recreate a change of mindset among the youth by re-orienting, teaching, nurturing and counselling them, whatever support we may give then, they will take it as a parting gift which they can squander at any time. But if the youth are re-oriented with a change of mindset and resolve within themselves to succeed through legitimate means, then whatever support we give them, they will take it as human capital."
The candidate framed the six-month programme as a structured intervention that would precede any direct financial or material empowerment. Participants would undergo training in skills acquisition and receive guidance on how to build, expand and sustain enterprises, with financial support provided only after the reorientation phase had been completed. "With that support and change of mindset, we can empower them with skills acquisition and financial support to start up; from there, they can be able to build, expand and develop themselves and be able to take care of others, and society will be better for it," Ezekwelu said. He described the initiative as one that could produce a more vibrant and prosperous society, adding, "When you build the youth, you build the nation and you build a very vibrant and prosperous and progressive society." He expressed confidence that the programme could be achieved within six months with the support of parents and stakeholders, after which empowerment programmes would begin in earnest.
The pledge comes amid a broader national conversation about the erosion of values among Nigerian youths, a concern that has been echoed by religious leaders, traditional rulers and policymakers across the country. The Federal Government has prioritised youth development through initiatives including the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, which has disbursed more than N372 billion since its launch, and the expanded National Youth Service Corps reforms approved by the Federal Executive Council in June 2026. The Anambra State Government has also implemented youth reformation and redirection programmes across its three senatorial zones, and Governor Chukwuma Soludo has consistently emphasised the need to confront the culture of quick wealth that has taken root in parts of the South-East.
Community leaders at the rally threw their weight behind Ezekwelu's candidacy, citing the state of infrastructure in the area and the need for effective representation at the national level. A prominent leader in Awka-Ettiti, Ebuka Okeke, popularly known as Alhaji Saint, said the community needed an APC-led government to address the deteriorating condition of roads across the town and to facilitate federal civil service employment opportunities for its large population of unemployed graduates. "Awka-Ettiti is good, peaceful and well secured, but we need roads to grow and develop more. Our roads are in dilapidated condition, which is why we are campaigning heavily for APC because we just need to fix the bad roads in the town," Okeke said. He pledged to deploy his political connections and strategies to secure victory for Ezekwelu, describing the candidate as someone the community could approach freely about its needs.
The rally was attended by party supporters, community leaders and residents from across the constituency, which comprises Idemili North and Idemili South local government areas. The constituency is one of the most politically significant in Anambra State, with a large voting population and a history of competitive contests between the major parties. The APC has been working to strengthen its presence in the South-East ahead of the 2027 elections, and the emergence of candidates like Ezekwelu, whose platform combines youth reorientation with infrastructure advocacy, reflects an effort to appeal to both young voters and community stakeholders.
The political context of the pledge is significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is seeking a second term on the APC platform, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, former Anambra Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement are among the major challengers. Anambra State, as Obi's home state and a key South-East battleground, will be closely watched. Governor Soludo has endorsed Tinubu for a second term and declared that his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, will not field a presidential candidate, a decision that has reshaped the political dynamics in the state and created opportunities for the APC to consolidate its support.
For the youths of Idemili North and Idemili South, the proposed six-month reorientation programme represents both an opportunity and a test. If implemented, it would offer structured training, mentorship and a pathway to skills development and enterprise support. Whether it becomes a model for youth empowerment in the constituency or another unfulfilled campaign promise will depend on the outcome of the election and the commitment of the candidate to deliver. As Ezekwelu put it, the youth workshop is the passion he has for reorienting and refocusing young people towards hard work, merit and perseverance. The coming months will determine whether that passion translates into a programme that changes lives or remains a slogan on the campaign trail.
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