By Kelvin Obambon
Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Cross River State Chapter, Comrade Emmanuel Olayi, has overseen the disbursement of Christmas gift approved for youth and student bodies by Governor Bassey Edet Otu.
In a meeting held at the Youth House in Calabar on Christmas Day, Comrade Olayi expressed immense gratitude to Governor Bassey Edet Otu for the kind gesture. He emphasized an “open-door policy,” bringing together affiliated and non-affiliated youth organizations to ensure the Governor’s gift reached a wide spectrum of young people across the 18 Local Government Areas.
Addressing the media shortly after the session, Olayi clarified that the largesse was a gracious gesture from the Governor to ensure the youth celebrated the festive season with ease.
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“We feel that we should not sit in the comfort of our homes to dictate who takes what and how,” Olayi stated. “We called different youth organizations, ranging from the State Executive Council to local government coordinators, the youth parliament, and voluntary organizations. We even extended invitations to groups yet to be affiliated with us but who have partnered with us during the year.”
He maintained that while the NYCN is the legal umbrella body, the spirit of Christmas demanded inclusivity. “Everybody deserves a portion of the big bite. We are running an open-door system.”
The Chairman used the opportunity to respond to a recent press conference held at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), where a rival group reportedly declared the NYCN non-existent in the state and labeled upcoming activities, such as a youth summit in Bekwarra, as “illegal.”
Olayi dismissed these claims as a “usual youth distraction” born out of a lack of understanding of operational contexts.
“The National Youth Council of Nigeria in Cross River State is intact. We are not distracted by a group of young people who may not understand the context of the operations,” he said. He further clarified that while there may be leadership disputes at the national level leading to an Interim Management Committee (IMC), the state chapter’s mandate remains valid and was reaffirmed by the State Ministry of Youth Development as recently as December 25, 2025.
“The NYC is not a replacement for the NYCN. What the umbrella does is provide a shield. We will stay focused to the end of time.”
Highlighting the Council’s progress under his leadership, Olayi noted that the NYCN has successfully floated a transit scheme with a minibus and is facilitating scholarships to Germany and business grants of N300,000 for young entrepreneurs, scheduled for disbursement on December 30th.
However, the Chairman issued a stern warning to those attempting to incite unrest among the youth.
“The peace we are trying to sustain under the leadership of our government is paramount. If we find any young person who wants to cause an uproar, our youth council will not fail to go after such a person and report them to the authorities,” Olayi warned.
The meeting concluded with a call for unity, with Comrade Olayi announcing that the portal for re-validation and registration of new youth organizations would open in January 2026 to further strengthen the council’s reach.
