From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
The mood of the people during the musical performance by the students of Austica Memorial College, Nanka, in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, told it all.
There was no doubt that guests at the 2021 Carol of Nine Lessons held at Nnobi community, Idemili South LGA, were touched in a special way.
That Carol of Nine Lessons was the second edition organized by Youths Earnestly Support Soludo (YESS), a group of young people mobilising support for the incoming governor of the state, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.
Before their recent change of name, the group initially known as Youths Earnestly Seek Soludo (YESS) leveraged its massive following in the grassroots to mobilize support for the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor.
Daily Sun gathered that the group also donated the sum of N2 million to him for the purpose of buying the expression of interest form of his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), ahead of the governorship poll, which he eventually won by a landslide.
The melodious tunes rendered by the Austica Orchestra mended broken hearts and probably healed the sick. Some were sighted shedding tears whose implications were not quite clear. It was as though some of them were already in heaven.
But they were not alone. Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) choir and a choir from the Ayamelum LGA chapter of YESS also thrilled the audience with scintillating performances.
At the event was the Commissioner for Basic Education in the state, Prof. Kate Omenugha, and her husband, Dr. Michael Omenugha, the chief medical director of MOOM Hospital, Nnobi.
Also at the event was the member representing Anambra East Constituency in the House of Assembly, Obinna Emeneka, a pharmacist; and the former Deputy Chief Whip, Nze Tony-Uche Ezekwelu, among others.
Convener of YESS, Dr. Nelson Omenugha, said the event was organized to thank God for the year ending and also to celebrate Soludo’s victory in the November 6 poll.
He said that the youths who strongly supported him from the beginning have resolved to stand with him to ensure he meets the expectations of Ndi Anambra.
They said that they have already started mobilizing more support for the erudite professor and would strongly stand with him through thick and thin just to ensure that he delivers on his campaign promises.
YESS said that the move was to ensure that Soludo has the human and material resources he needs to succeed on assumption of office.
They said that they have already started reaching out to the people in all the communities in the state, revealing that, so far, the efforts have been yielding good results.
“For Soludo to succeed, everybody has to get involved. We are saying that we cannot persuade him to come and run and not support him to succeed. So, the essence of what we’ve done today is essentially to declare our unalloyed support for Soludo,” Omenugha said.
In a related development, YESS distributed bags of rice and other items to its field marshals as their Christmas packages.
The beneficiaries, it was gathered, included its think-tank team, zonal, local government and institutional coordinators, media team, special duties executives and local government mobilisers.
Omenugha, during a small get-together, thanked the YESS team for their efforts and commitment to the organization since inception and urged them not to relent in their good works.
It was not the first time YESS leadership was appreciating its team members for their efforts, which eventually contributed to APGA’s success in the last governorship poll in the state. YESS had, sometime in July, selected 100 persons from across the 21 local government areas of the state for enrolment into the Anambra State Health Insurance Scheme.
“As we mark the second anniversary of YESS and in gratitude to God for the success granted to our principal, Soludo, at APGA primary, YESS would be celebrating the resilience and commitment of some of her field marshals these past years.
“YESS would be enrolling 100 persons (drawn from think tank members and spouses, zonal, local government and institutional coordinators and spouses, media team, woman leader and spouse, selected individuals from special duties department) into Anambra Health Insurance Scheme to take care of their medical needs and welfare.”
“The health insurance coverage is for one year and renewable upon expiration. For us, this coverage is critical as we move forward to Nov 6, with so much work expected of us.
“We want to encourage our members to take care of their health and run periodic checks as we continue to intensify efforts for Soludo’s victory at the general election.
“In any case that they needed medical attention, including minor surgery, the YESS health insurance package got them covered. In YESS, we are committed to everyone’s welfare, just like our principal, Prof Soludo. YESS is a family where everyone counts,” Omenugha had said.