A good number of Abia State youths, selected from the 17 Local Government Areas of the state to participate in a joint federal and state government agricultural programme and empowerment in Osun State, are begging Governor Alex Otti to come to their aid.
The youths who said that they participated in a three-week agro-based certified programme called “National Youths In Agricultural Training Programme For Unemployed Youths From The South East Geopolitical Zone” lamented that the assurance given to them initially that they will be supported by the state to start something for production and commercialisation is now looking like a mirage.
The team stakeholders, Ogbonnaya Peter, team secretary, Orji ijeoma, woman coordinator and Ojimgba Favour, men coordinator, speaking unanimously said that the group had to resort to the media because since the event began in November 2024 and ended barely three weeks within the above date, officials of both the Abia State Ministry of Sports and Youths and the agriculture counterpart have made their lives tough and rough with unfulfilled promises.
They said that the whole frustrated youth in the group of agricultural trainees are so sure that nobody has told Governor Alex Otti about their situation, stressing that all efforts to reach the governor have proved abortive, as the heads of the ministries may have failed to inform him what his citizens are passing through.
The team reiterated total abandonment by some government officials authorised by the state government to take care of their welfare and said that since their return from the Osun programme, they were asked to submit the details but have heard nothing from these government officials.
“Since we came back, we have been abandoned like orphans. The Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Hon. Ananana Nwaobilor, and also the Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr Cliff Agbaeze, are also aware.
“All these people endorsed our movement, and we were told that the state government had released funds, and up till now, nothing has been done. Some groups that went to Nassarawa have gotten every necessary support.
“The programme covers all 17 LGAs of Abia, and we went for it in November 2023. The programme was an FG one but would be taken care of by the state.
“After the training, we came back, and the commissioner for agriculture asked us to write a proposal. We wrote and sent it to him. The same instructions came from the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, and we equally did the needful, but none of them have called us.”
They said that the frustrated team that went to Osun are not mentioning names of these officials a mark of accusation or any form of embarrassment, but just to to prove that they know what they are saying and are not faceless group that came out from nowhere.
The team said that the most annoying part of the whole process is that when Governor Otti launched an agro programme, they were told they would be absorbed into that governor’s programme, but it later became a fake promise meant to prolong their sorrow.
“There was one agricultural programme Governor Otti set up; they assured us that they’ll incorporate us into that programme because of our experience.
“We were actually issued with a certificate after the programme. The HOD on Youths and Sports asked that we submit our names and details, which we did. The Commissioner for Agriculture requested the same details, which we equally did send to him, but since then, they all went cold.”
The team said that they are already suspecting that their names may have been replaced with some people who did not participate in the programme, stressing that they know Governor Alex Otti as a man who cannot go against Abia youths, except if such information were conspicuously hidden from his attention.
“We’re raising this alarm because we believe Governor Alex Otti is not aware of what truly happened and has released funds for us which we believe may have been diverted for something else or to some people who have no business getting it.
“Our worry now is that it’s the same state government that implemented the Nassarawa programme that sponsored us. Why abandon us like we’re not humans” the team lamented.
The team added that it is disheartening that in a country where people cry of hunger and unemployment, people who are trained on how to solve those problems permanently are left idle because of the decisions of a few persons who do not care about the feelings of the general public.
“Some of us were trained in various agricultural things like cassava production and commercialisation. Some of us were trained on fish farming, and we did it very well and started production. Some of us were also trained on beekeeping, and they are also good. All we are waiting for is for the government to give us the supporting funds and monitor us as promised.
“This is for the good of everyone, not just us. We have the capacity to produce food and equally create more employment for others with what we’ve learnt already. We were sent to those two ministries for funding, and up till today, we’ve yet to see anything.”
The team reiterated that the three-week programme that was held in November 2024 started with huge hope following promises but has suddenly become a nightmare with the sudden silence of the Abia State government officials.
They said that they have been visiting the ministries of youth and sports development and agriculture for further inquiry with no answer, noting that the last time they visited, they were asked to bring some documents as of August 2025.
“We equally revisited the office of the agriculture commissioner in February 2026, yet no results. However, we’re convinced that Governor Alex Otti is not aware of this predicament of ours.
“When this programme came, we went to the two ministries, and we were asked to do a proposal to the state government, which the government approved and asked us to return to our ministries, which we did, and they all signed.”
The team lamented that as of today, a lot of agricultural programmes are ongoing in the state where they, the trained ones, could have been useful; they are not even invited, not to talk of getting enrolled to do something meaningful.
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