There are moments in history when silence becomes betrayal, and this is one of those moments. For too long, thousands of young men and women across Anambra State have swallowed pain with patience, believing that government promises are sacred and that empowerment schemes exist to uplift, not to exploit. Yet the story of the One Youth Two Skills Initiative has turned out to be one of the darkest ironies of our time, a tale not of empowerment but of political exploitation, deceit, and the quiet humiliation of those whose only crime was hope.

From the very beginning, this second batch of the programme, beautifully packaged, widely promoted, and loudly proclaimed as the future of Anambra youth carried the fragrance of promise. Eleven thousand two hundred (11,200) young people registered with dreams blazing in their eyes. They saw it as an open door to self reliance, to dignity, and to a future unchained from unemployment. But somewhere between promise and practice, hope was traded for politics, and empowerment became a pawn on the chessboard of political interest.

For four months, these youths laboured with faith. They attended classes from Monday to Friday, twenty-two days each month spending money that most did not have, sacrificing time, energy, and even food, just to learn the skills they were told would secure their tomorrow. *Some journeyed daily from Awka North to Idemili, others from remote villages across the twenty one local governments, all because they believed the government meant well. At an average of ₦2,000 spent each day, most participants burnt through tens of thousands of naira monthly, money they could not afford to waste. But they bore it with smiles, because they trusted the system that promised them salvation.*

Then came the three weeks of Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) training, five days a week in various designated centres, including the Federal Polytechnic Mgbakwu for Awka North. That was another three weeks of transportation, feeding, stress, and cost. Yet, they endured. They were told the future was bright that soon, they would be empowered to start real businesses and stand tall among their peers. But what followed broke their spirit.

Suddenly, the number of beneficiaries was reduced from 11,200 to 8,300. No one could clearly explain why or how. Was it a new policy, an administrative oversight, or the usual political pruning that sacrifices merit for loyalty? Questions filled the air, but answers were scarce. Those who survived the purge continued to wait for months filling endless Google forms, writing business plans, submitting account details, attending orientation sessions, and even opening compulsory Zenith Bank accounts, each step requiring more money, more patience, and more faith.

They waited not for days or weeks, but almost a full year after the training. Many of them had already borrowed to survive, others lost hope, and a few had drifted back into despair. Still, when the announcement came that their long awaited empowerment would finally come during the grand graduation at the International Convention Centre (ICC), Awka, they gathered in their thousands. On that day, His Excellency, Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, stood before them and promised not only their startup grants but also ₦20,000 each as transportation reimbursement. The crowd erupted in joy, the applause of the hopeful echoed across the hall. They believed that, at last, government had remembered them.

*Days passed, and another announcement came: beneficiaries were to report to their various Local Government Secretariats to collect cheques for their grants, which, according to the Governor’s promise, included the ₦20,000 transport allowance. Once again, these young people spent their last money on transportation, converging at different Secretariats across the 21 LGAs, waiting under the sun with high expectations. But when the alerts started dropping, hearts began to sink. The ₦20,000 transportation fee was missing, the funds were far below what had been publicly stated, and the dream began to crack.*

The startup grants ranged from ₦300,000 to ₦350,000 a figure that could barely compensate for the months of expenditure and sacrifice they had already endured. For a programme designed for “One Youth Two Skills,” most of the participants could only point to one skill, not two, raising yet another question: where did the second skill vanish to, and what happened to the budget allocated for it? Beauticians, bakers, tailors, artisans all complained that the grants were not even half of what they were told was budgeted to enable them start real businesses. Meanwhile, the state government reportedly released a staggering ₦7.5 billion for this empowerment project. Where did the rest go?

*Now, the ₦20,000 transportation reimbursement, a public promise made by the Governor himself was paid yesterday on the 20th of October, 2025. How do you explain such cruelty to the poor and the patient? How do you justify making citizens spend money to attend training after training, form cooperatives, open bank accounts, and chase forms, only to return what they spent, or even less, as empowerment? What kind of development makes people poorer than they were before it started?*

*It is time for conscience to speak where politics has failed. This is not just a programme gone wrong; this is the systematic weaponization of youth trust, a betrayal of faith, and an insult to sacrifice. The future of our young generation should not be gambled away for political visibility. As George Orwell once said, “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” And today, the truth must be told, this empowerment scheme, in its execution, has mocked the very idea of empowerment.*

*When government policies begin to serve politics instead of people, development dies. When citizens lose trust in leadership because of repeated deception, democracy itself begins to bleed. These youths did not ask for much, they only wanted a fair chance to live with dignity, to build something meaningful out of their sweat. Instead, they got bureaucracy, propaganda, and disappointment packaged as progress.*

The tragedy here is not just the waste of money, but the erosion of faith. Faith in government, in justice, and in fairness. Thousands of young people now walk with broken spirits, asking the same painful question: was this empowerment, or was it exploitation? The moral wound runs deep. And unless something is done unless the state government publicly addresses these irregularities the spirit of betrayal will continue to haunt the corridors of power.

Let’s be clear: no one is accusing the Governor personally of theft or deceit. But leadership carries responsibility. If those entrusted with implementing the vision have corrupted it, the silence of leadership becomes consent. The people deserve answers. ₦7.5 billion cannot simply disappear into administrative fog while the beneficiaries receive crumbs. This is not governance, this is manipulation wrapped in benevolence.*

*The government must come clean. Let the state publish the full list of beneficiaries, the total budget released, the detailed expenditure reports, and the names of vendors and coordinators who handled disbursements. Let there be an independent audit, a televised town hall, a transparent explanation of how the funds were managed. Because transparency is not a privilege, it is the lifeblood of democracy. And accountability is not rebellion, it is citizenship.*

If the vision of the One Youth Two Skills Initiative was genuine, then let it prove itself in truth. *But if it was a political theatre to buy loyalty, then history will judge it harshly. As Thomas Jefferson said, “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.” The youth of Anambra have been patient enough. They have respected authority, obeyed instructions, and endured long waits in hope of fairness. But patience must not be mistaken for weakness, and silence must not be taken for ignorance.*

Now, voices are rising across local governments from Awka North to Idemili, from Oyi to Aguata young people are preparing to speak, to demand the justice they were denied. What began as whispers of frustration is turning into a storm of resistance, a movement not against government, but against deception, against manipulation, and against the moral decay that pretends to be leadership.

*The government still has time to act wisely. It can restore faith by addressing these grievances openly. It can repair trust by compensating the victims and fixing the system that allowed such betrayal. But if it chooses silence, it will face the growing voice of an awakened generation, youths who will no longer accept empty promises in place of progress.*

*This is not rebellion; this is responsibility. This is not hatred for government; it is hunger for justice. As Martin Luther King Jr. reminded the world, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” The future of Anambra youths matters. Their hope matters. Their sacrifice matters. And the truth no matter how uncomfortable must be told.*

We therefore call on the Anambra State Government, under the leadership of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo CFR, to immediately commission a full-scale audit and review of the One Youth Two Skills Initiative. Let those who misled the administration be exposed. Let every unaccounted kobo be traced. Let the rightful beneficiaries receive what they were promised. And let history record that, when injustice was done to the youth, truth did not keep quiet.

Because in the end, justice may be delayed, but it can never be denied. The youths of Anambra deserve more than politics; they deserve purpose, they deserve fairness, and above all, they deserve truth.

NWAKANWA OKOYE