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
Traditional Prime Minister of Abagana Community, Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze,has described New Yam Festival as one of the cardinal means of safeguarding the rich cultural heritage of Ndigbo
Speaking with newsmen at his country home while celebrating the new yam festival, he described it as capable of uniting the Igbos.
While calling for its preservation, he urged Ndigbo to always engage in acts capable of projecting their rich cultural heritage before the international community.
He, then, reminded Ndigbo that culture as people’s way of life, should always be used in bringing peace and unity for enhanced development .
Dr Anakwenze, emphasized the need for Ndigbo to reinvent the true Igbo spirit by embracing agriculture to enable them survive the prevailing era of crisis food crisis and Food insecurity in the nation.
While affirming that yam is the king of all crops, he pointed out the importance of agriculture to the growth of the society and encouraged youths to take agriculture seriously.
The event attracted Community Leaders including the Traditional Ruler of the community,Igwe Mbamalu Okeke,friends and well wishers.
Nkwelle Ezunaka Community, Oyi Local Government Area witnessed jubilation galore last weekend at the palace of their new traditional ruler, Igwe Obiora Anachuna, as he marked his maiden new yam festival about three decades after the demise of his predecessor, Igwe (Dr), Ralph Nwakoby.
The monarch expressed satisfaction as he performed the maiden new yam festival in Nkwelle-Ezunaka, saying, “I am overwhelmed with joy to see people from all walks of life gathered here to witness this historic event.”
He urged his subjects to unite and work towards the progress of Nkwelle-Ezunaka, emphasizing, “Let us put aside our differences and move our community forward.”
The monarch also paid a glowing tribute to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, commending his rapid infrastructural development and peace restoration efforts in the state.
He noted that Governor Soludo is a working Governor, and prayed that one day he will remember them and fix their roads, which are in dire need of attention.
Addressing those still harboring grudges over his election as the new monarch, he reassured, “We don’t hold grudges; it’s natural to have differences, but Nkwelle people are peaceful and loving. We love ourselves and will continue to live in harmony.”
Expressing satisfaction shortly after being conferred as the ‘Onowu,’ of the community by the monarch, the President General, Chief Willie Okafor, thanked God that the election of the monarch happened while he is the PG, lamenting that the community has been denied a lot because of lack of a monarch.
“I can’t ask for more from God for being number two citizen of Nkwelle-Ezunaka. I thank God for me to be the vessel used to give Nkwelle-Ezunaka a king after about three decades of not having a monarch.I am overwhelmed, I am grateful to God. Nkwelle-Ezunaka will ever be grateful to God for this.
“I will ask those who are still feeling grudges that it is time to unite, If you look at Igwe you know that God has just given us a gentle man as a king, a young man, I will ask everyone to come together, let us move our community forward,” he pleaded.
On the issue of presentation of certificate to the monarch he said, “We know that soonest the governor will issue the certificate to him and then we do our maiden Ofala festival, this is just new yam and the crowd was much, let alone when we celebrate Ofala festival,” he stated.
Contributing, an in-law and indigene of Obosi community, Idemili North Local Government Area, Chief Omezie Chukwurah, whose wife, Mrs. Chinelo Lynda Chukwurah, was conferred with the Chieftaincy title of ‘Ocheze Oshia,’ by the monarch, he stated that the Igwe was a man of the people.
“My wife is one of those three women that were conferred today with traditional titles by the monarch and I love my wife because they gave her to me, that’s why I’m progressing.”
On the efforts to ensure Governor Soludo presents certificate of recognition to the monarch he assured that, “I will meet the governor for issuance of certificate to Igwe Nkwelle, he knows me too well and knows that I am APGA staunch member.”
Earlier, the community treasurer , Chief Gibson Udeagwu, who was honoured as “Okaka Nkwelle,” stated that, ” We have been conferred with Chieftaincy titles so that we would work with him, (monarch ), I am happy about the Igwe because Nkwelle community suffered for 30 years on the issue of Igwe after the demise of our last Igwe, Dr Ralph Nwakoby.
” Since then, Nkwelle has been having problem, the youths behave badly. This first new yam celebration with our Igwe is a great one, it is we, the Ogbuefi Nkwelle that were managing the new yam festival.
“I plead with the opposition to join us, we will welcome them, the election of this monarch was free, fair and credible, Igwe won with 400+ votes, while the second position had 200+, the third 100+.
“I plead to government to help and build our roads, this building material road to Nkwo bank,( Oze –Nkwo bank road),if constructed will decongest all the hold ups at Awka Road and serve as a bye pass for those going to Awka, Anambra East, West, Ayamelum, and kogi State.
Also on the issue of certificate, he pleaded to Governor Soludo to present certificate of recognition to the monarch lamenting that for about 30 years the community existed without a monarch, disclosing that both the monarch and his subjects are APGA faithful.
Wife of the treasurer, Mrs Amaka Udeagwu, stated that, “There is light now at Nkwelle, we are now in the modern days and I thank God for giving us life to witness this light in Nkwelle brought by the election of the monarch,” even as she prayed for health, progress, long life in Nkwelle.
She expressed satisfaction with the traditional title conferred on her husband, adding that the monarch has done well for finding him worthy to be so honoured as ‘Okaka Nkwelle-Ezunaka.”
Chief John Onwuanyi who was conferred with “Ogene” the first in Nkwelle, expressed joy, saying, “this is our first Igwe, we used to have warrant chiefs, this is the first contestant out of the four that contested for Igwe, I am the first that canvassed for him, telling our people what he can do, because he is American citizen.
“This is his first new yam festival, he selected two persons from each village and conferred with Chieftaincy titles, I know he will lead Nkwelle well and I pray God to give him wisdom to lead Nkwelle,” he prayed.
* Nwachukwu is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State *
