Anyaso Urges Stronger Elders-Youth Partnership

The Labour Party candidate for Bende Federal Constituency, Dr. Chimaobi Desmond Anyaso, has called for stronger collaboration between Igbo elders and youths, saying the future of Ndigbo must be deliberately built through the combined wisdom of the older generation and the energy and innovation of young people.

Anyaso made the call while delivering the keynote address as Chairman of the Occasion at a Community Youth Town Hall Meeting organised by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Youth Wing, Abia State Chapter, at the Women Development Centre, Umuahia.

The meeting focused on the theme, “Nsopuru Ndi Okenye Na Mkpa Ndi Ntorobia N’ime Obodo Anyi” — Respect for Our Elders and the Importance of Youths in Our Communities.

He described the theme as timely, stressing that while elders remain custodians of history, culture, values and traditional wisdom, young people have a critical role to play in shaping the future of Igbo society.

According to him, respect for elders should not prevent youths from participating actively in leadership and community development.

“You are not merely the leaders of tomorrow; you are partners in leadership today,” Anyaso told the youths.

He said young people must be given opportunities to contribute their energy, creativity, education, technological knowledge and courage to the development of their communities.

The Bende Federal Constituency hopeful, however, urged youths to prepare themselves for leadership by embracing character, competence, discipline and integrity, noting that the demand for opportunities must be matched with a willingness to take responsibility.

Anyaso also charged elders to deliberately mentor younger people, open doors for them and prepare them to take up future responsibilities.

“Our elders must not simply tell the youths to wait for their turn. They must mentor them, open doors for them and deliberately prepare them to take over the responsibilities of tomorrow,” he said.

He maintained that there should be no conflict between the older and younger generations, describing their relationship as complementary.

“The elders have the experience; the youths have the energy. The elders carry the wisdom; the youths carry innovation. The elders preserve our history, while the youths must protect and advance our future.”

Anyaso further urged Ndigbo to sustain the values of enterprise, resilience, education and self-reliance, which he described as key attributes of the Igbo people.

He called for communities where elders are respected, young people are heard, talent is rewarded, entrepreneurship is encouraged and youths are given meaningful opportunities to contribute to development.

While commending the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide Youth Wing, Abia State Chapter, for creating a platform for intergenerational dialogue, Anyaso urged participants to ensure that the discussions translate into practical action.

“Let this not be another meeting where speeches are made and nothing changes. Let this be the beginning of a stronger partnership between our elders and our youths,” he said.

He concluded by emphasising that intergenerational cooperation remains vital to building a stronger Igbo society.

“When wisdom and strength work together, the community becomes unstoppable. Ndigbo must not only inherit a future; we must deliberately build one.”

In a vote of thanks, the State Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Chukwuemeka Okwuonu, commended Anyaso for chairing the occasion and urged youths in Bende Federal Constituency to support his ambition to represent the area in the House of Representatives in 2027.

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