Speaking during a special visit by the Girl Guides team to the NYCN headquarters in Abakaliki, Ochishi commended the association for its century-long contributions to the welfare of young girls and urged stronger collaboration between the two youth-focused bodies.
“I want to thank you for your immense contributions to the upbringing of our girl-child.
"The government of Ebonyi State is ready to engage you with support to ensure our girls are brought up in a good manner," he said.
The NYCN chairman noted that the Girl Guides have maintained significant impact in the state and urged them to align their activities with government policies on women and child welfare, including the BERWO, the pet project of Ebonyi First Lady, Mrs Uzoamaka Nwifuru.
Ochishi warned against indecent dressing, prostitution, and lesbianism, describing these trends as threats to the future of the girl-child.
“We opened Facebook the other day and saw a young girl naked on social media. It created a lot of panic.What kind of generation are we into? Half-nakedness will not determine the kind of man that will come close to them," he said.
He urged the Girl Guides to intensify their interventions, especially in secondary schools, where girls are most vulnerable to peer pressure and negative influences.
Ochishi assured the Girl Guides that NYCN would provide emotional, logistical, and strategic support to their upcoming Thinking Day programme and other initiatives in the state.
The visit was led by the State Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Girl Guides Association, Mrs Nnenna Nnana, who invited the NYCN chairman to the association’s Thinking Day celebration.
The event marks 100 years of the Girl Guides in Nigeria and will be celebrated in Ebonyi on February 21, ahead of the global date on February 22.
Mrs Nnanna expressed concern over the increasing adoption of immoral lifestyles among girls, attributing the trend to harmful external influences and poor role modeling.
“Our girls are learning the wrong things from outside and bringing them home. One of the worst is nudity. The way our girls dress now, I don’t know where it is coming from," Nnanna said.
She stressed that the solution lies in consistent guidance, proper role modeling, and continuous communication between parents and children, urging mothers to become friends and mentors to their daughters.
The State Trainer of the Girl Guides Association, Mrs Obianuju Anyasi, described the upcoming Thinking Day programme as a major platform for social reformation.
"This year’s theme is “Friendship. The upcoming event is going to be very impactful. We want to teach girls the importance of friendship and how it can influence society positively," she said.
The Girl Guides also appealed to the government for funding, noting that the organization is voluntary and underfunded. They emphasized the need for vehicles to reach rural communities, where girls are most at risk.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from both organizations to work together in rescuing the girl-child from harmful social vices.
Ochishi assured the Girl Guides that NYCN would provide emotional, logistical, and strategic support to their upcoming Thinking Day program and other initiatives.
