By Juliana Nwachukwu/Regina Igwebuike :
The Amawbia Community, Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State, has celebrated her 2024 New Yam festival at the Community Events Centre where her scores of illustrious sons, daughter and wife were also honored for their community services.
The Awardees are Dr Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, Director General (DG) Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Pharm Emeka Okafor Nwachukwu, Iyom Josephine Anenih, Esq,mni,FNIM, Engr. Arinze Obi, Chief Mrs Oge-Chukwudi Okonkwo and Engr. Arize Anyadiegwu.
Speaking to the Press, the President General (PG) Amawbia Town Union, Engr. Godwin Aronu, said, “Amawbia calls New Yam celebration ‘Iru Otite’ but for understanding and modernity sake, we started calling it Iwaji festival”.
Explaining why Igbo culture would not go into extinction, PG said, “We that the culture was handed over to are trying to be doing it as it was handed over to us, which was the way our forefathers did it”.
The President General also said that they are looking forward for the governor to establish skill acquisition centre for them, noting that the community has earmarked a place for such but looks forward for the governor to come and establish it for youth and women.
“We started our organic fertilizer plant with 12-15M naira which was completed by the state government, so all these are what we are looking forward for the state government to do for us,” he said.
On the election of Okpaligwe Amawbia, Aronu said that it would follow suit immediately the election of the town Union executive which would take place on Dec. 31, 2024 is over.
Speaking, the member representing Awka North/South in the Federal House of Representatives, Prof. Lilian Oby Orogbu said that Amawbia Iwa Ji celebration showed that Amawbia people are farmers, noting that any community without farming would be dealt with by hunger.
She advised all hands to be on deck so as to fight hunger out of our communities, and prayed God to give Ndigbo the life, strength and health to keep on farming and harvesting.
Earlier, the villages, age grades, branches, Umuada, Eziokwubundu Women, Amawbia Youth Vanguard, Okokpa Amawbia, Isi Isi akpu Amawbia, Friends and well wishers paid homage to Osojeze Amawbia before proceeding to Amawbia Event Centre for second phase of the event.
*Juliana and Regina are of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State