By Michael Ezenwata
The State Deputy Chairman, Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council and Chairman Anambra North Traditional Rulers Council Igwe Prof Benjamin Okeji, has called for the sustained promotion of the Igbo language and culture through the celebration of the new yam festival across Igbo land.
Igwe Okeji doubling as the Chairman Southern Traditional Rulers Council Anambra State Chapter and the Traditional Ruler of Omasi urged that youth and children’s involvement in such festivals will awaken their consciousness towards promoting their cultural heritage wherever they find themselves.
The royal father, a special guest at the new yam festival of the traditional ruler of Ukwulu, Igwe Peter Uyanwa in a press statement at Ukwulu, commended his counterpart Igwe Uyanwa for promoting the Igbo cultural heritage through the celebration of the yam as king of all crops.
He expressed delight in the huge turn out of guests at the event which has laid credence to the fact that Igbos are gradually identifying with their cultural heritage.
During the new yam celebration, Igwe Uyanwa passed a vote of confidence on Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s purposeful administration.
According to the royal father, the governor deserves a second term in office to consolidate on his unequalled administrative competence.
He used the forum to shower his royal blessings on his subjects and invitees who graced the occasion.
Another special guest at the occasion and the traditional ruler of Uke, Igwe Charles Agbala, showered encomiums on Igwe Uyanwa for promoting the Igbo cultural heritage through his new yam festival.
Igwe Agbala used the forum to felicitate with Nigerians ahead of Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary and urged that for Nigeria to be on the right track, purposeful leadership should be enthroned at the centre.
He expressed belief that a better change can be effected in Nigeria if the electorate are allowed to make their choice during elections.
During the occasion, Comrade Anthony Ugozor the former State Chairman of the NLC, NUT, and NUP led a delegation of “Ndi Ichies’ from Ifite Dunu, and representing the six sister communities of Dunukofia LGA namely, Ukpo, Ukwulu, Umunnachi, Umudioka, Nawgu, and Ifite Dunu to pay homage to Igwe Uyanwa.
Their mission was to visit all the six Dunukofia LGA communities in the state in solidarity to promote the unified new yam festival and the Igbo cultural heritage.
Others who paid their homage to the traditional ruler of Ukwulu include Chief Architect Ikechukwu Ekweani, and Chief Ugochukwu Uwaezuoke.
Ezenwata is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
