The recent press release by the Nkanu Youth Organization (NYO) has drawn sharp criticism from Hon. John Tochukwu Ogbodo, who described their claims as “misplaced, misleading, and not in tune with reality.”
Speaking on Saturday, Ogbodo said he ordinarily would not have responded, but as a proud Nkanu son, he found it necessary to “put the records straight,” insisting that “truth must never be left at the mercy of half truths, assumptions, and political undertones.”
Ogbodo rejected the assertion that there is a “staggering deficit” in youth empowerment under Governor Peter Mbah.
“This is a government that has revamped the education sector with the Smart Schools initiative across all LGAs, integrating digital learning and entrepreneurial training into the curriculum,” he stated.
According to him, Nkanu youths are already benefiting from modern classrooms, free digital skills acquisition, and scholarships. He further highlighted the Skills Development Centres established to equip young people with vocational and technology-driven skills.
“To say Governor Mbah has ignored the youths is therefore untrue. The truth is that many of us are impatient for results to come overnight, forgetting that systemic reforms take time,” he added.
Reacting to NYO’s claim that the Mbah administration is running a “capitalist government with zero empathy,” Ogbodo argued that the governor is actually “cleaning up decades of leakages in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).”
“Governor Mbah’s tax reforms have introduced automation and digital payment systems to end the era of thugs and middlemen collecting cash on the streets,” Ogbodo explained.
He dismissed the allegation of multiple taxation, saying, “Far from over-taxation, Ndi Enugu now have clarity, accountability, and fairness in their civic obligations. That is empathy in action, not rhetoric.”
Ogbodo also took issue with the NYO’s criticism of political endorsements ahead of 2027.
“With due respect, this is a contradiction. Endorsement is a voluntary political expression, not a crime,” he said.
According to him, Governor Mbah’s rising popularity across Enugu State is rooted in performance. “Water in 180 days (now flowing), massive road expansion, rural electrification, and unprecedented investment inflows,” he listed.
“If people choose to endorse him today, it is because leadership is about performance, not waiting for election timetables,” he stressed.
Ogbodo insisted that Governor Mbah is addressing exactly the issues NYO raised—water, security, taxation, and youth empowerment.
“From less than 2 million liters per day, Enugu now enjoys over 120 million liters daily, courtesy of the Oji River and 9th Mile water projects. This is historic,” he said.
He further noted that Enugu remains among the safest states in Nigeria due to the Distress Response Squad (DRS) and community security initiatives. He added that youth empowerment is also advancing through PPP investments that open opportunities for SMEs and startups.
“The Enugu of today is a construction site, from flyovers to rural roads. These are not empty promises; they are tangible dividends of democracy,” Ogbodo maintained.
Ogbodo dismissed the NYO’s claim that their statement was a reminder, not a confrontation.
“With respect, it is less a reminder and more a misrepresentation,” he said. “No government in the history of Enugu has carried the youths along like this one.”
He pointed to the appointment of young aides and the inclusion of youth-based policies as proof of Mbah’s commitment to the next generation.
“As an Nkanu man, I stand boldly to say that the Nkanu Youth Organization does not speak for all of us,” Ogbodo declared.
He praised Governor Mbah as a leader of “empathy, vision, and sincerity,” saying, “Our Governor is not perfect, but he is undoubtedly on the right track. History will remember that under Governor Mbah, Enugu rose again.”
