Titus Eleweke, South East Editor
AWKA, Anambra – The Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (Ocha Brigade) has indicated plans to establish National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS)–Ocha Brigade units in various higher institutions across Anambra State.
This was disclosed on Friday when a delegation of NANS, led by the National Clerk of the Senate, Comrade Daniel Vyonku, paid a courtesy visit to the Managing Director of the Ocha Brigade, Comrade Celestine Anere. During the visit, the delegation conferred on Anere the prestigious honour of Lifetime Membership and Patron of NANS.
Anere, who expressed delight over the recognition, thanked the students’ body for finding him worthy of the award.
He assured the delegation that the Ocha Brigade would intensify efforts to address the poor welfare and environmental conditions prevalent in private students’ hostels across the state.
According to him, poor sanitation in student areas is not just a students’ problem but a broader public health concern affecting the entire Anambra State.
“I have heard your concerns, and they are not new to the Ocha Brigade. We are already working on them. Unfortunately, some students’ union leaders are not serious about achieving a livable and healthy environment for students,” Anere said.
He revealed that the agency had previously attempted to establish NANS–Ocha Brigade units in higher institutions across the state but met with little cooperation from some NANS officials.
“We visited several institutions, but the response from NANS officials was discouraging. I want to see a situation where we partner effectively with students in various schools to achieve a clean and healthy environment for everyone in the state,” he added.
Anere agreed with the student leaders that many house agents and landlords are more interested in increasing rents and levies than maintaining proper drainage systems and healthy living environments.
“They do not care about the environment where students live. Unfortunately, students themselves are often docile and fail to report or complain about the poor conditions of their hostels,” he noted.
He stressed the need for collaboration between the Ocha Brigade and students to ensure habitable environments, especially in private hostels.
“Many people build hostels without understanding how to maintain them; their only interest is collecting money. Students must be responsible enough to alert the agency so that appropriate action can be taken,” he said.
Anere further stated that NANS leadership must be proactive in championing students’ welfare and protecting them from hazardous living conditions.
“As comrades, NANS leaders must be ready to truly work for the welfare of students. You must genuinely represent their interests,” he stated.
The Ocha Brigade Managing Director expressed regret that environmental hazards are more prevalent in student communities largely because students are reluctant to speak out about their plight.
He disclosed that Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo is deeply committed to students’ welfare, particularly regarding the environments in which the students live.
He also noted that the governor is resolute in eradicating not only cultism but other criminal activities within higher institutions across the state.
Anere announced that the Ocha Brigade would soon write to the heads of all higher institutions in Anambra State to reintroduce the NANS–Ocha Brigade initiative.
“We want to make hostel environments more habitable, especially those located off-campus,” he added.
Earlier in his remarks, the leader of the NANS delegation, Comrade Daniel Vyonku, while presenting the award to Anere, appealed to the agency to intervene more decisively in students’ welfare across the state.
He lamented the deplorable condition of many students’ hostels, noting that students cannot live in such unhealthy environments and still perform effectively academically.
Vyonku urged the Managing Director to extend the mandate of the Ocha Brigade beyond urban areas to student communities.
According to him, the two most critical challenges confronting students are poor public health hygiene and the exploitation of students by landlords and house agents who fail to provide basic facilities and welfare.
He stated that since the primary mandate of the Ocha Brigade is to ensure a clean and healthy Anambra, its enforcement should be extended to student-populated areas such as Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, and other higher institutions across the state.
Vyonku called on the agency to ensure that hostel managers provide standard waste bins and designated waste disposal points, warning that poor waste management could lead to serious health challenges among students.
He also urged the Ocha Brigade to regulate the activities of house agents in student communities to curb exploitation.
“We plead that the Ocha Brigade works with local students’ unions to register and vet agents operating within student zones to prevent fraud and double letting. We also want the agency to act as a mediator between students and landlords when hostels are delivered in poor and uninhabitable conditions despite full payment,” he said.
He further appealed for the recruitment of students as health ambassadors within their hostels to report environmental violations directly to the agency.
Vyonku also called on the Ocha Brigade to deploy its mobile court system to swiftly penalize landlords who ignore health warnings or agents who defraud students.
According to him, the initiative aligns with the vision of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo for a livable and prosperous Anambra State.
He stressed that by sanitizing hostels and regulating agents, the state would ensure that students can focus on their studies in a safe, healthy, and affordable environment.
The NANS Clerk explained that the National Service and Security Award is not given lightly but reserved for individuals who view security not merely as a job but as a foundation for national development.
He stated that under Anere’s leadership, the Ocha Brigade has restored order by transforming chaotic public spaces into organized and productive environments.
Vyonku further noted that the agency has fostered strong synergy between security agencies and the civilian population, setting a standard of discipline that serves as a blueprint for young leaders nationwide.
“To the National Association of Nigerian Students, Chief Celestine Anere represents the ‘Senior Advocate of the Youth.’ By accepting this lifetime membership and the role of patron, he is bridging the gap between the current administration and the leaders of tomorrow,” he said.
He described a patron as a father, guide, and protector, adding that by embracing Anere, Nigerian students are aligning themselves with a leader who understands that without security, education cannot thrive, and without discipline, dreams cannot be realized.
