..as he celebrates New yam festival
PHIL OKOSE, Onitsha
The traditional Ruler of Uke Community, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, His Royal Highness. Igwe (Surveyor) Charles Chuma Agbala (Igwe Oranyelu 111) has enjoined his subjects to key into ‘One Youth Two Skills’ of Governor Charles Soludo’s Initiative.
Giving the charge during his message at the 2025, 9th Iwa ji (New Yam) Festival in his Palace, Igwe Agbala stated that ‘One Youth, Two Skills’ is very important since the money being realized by the civil servants, farmers and artisans are no longer sufficient due to the current national economic quagmire.
He also advised on the need for domestic (backyard) farming by all to assist in productivity, especially yam, plantations, and other crops as a supplementary disclosing that one can get yam from his farm for festivals like the New yam.
According to him there is modernized means of cultivation of cash crops like yam which is using empty bags of cement filled with sand and brought indoors which is more secured than those cultivated in far away farms.
According to him those who do not have a fertile land should get sand from the riverine areas and cultivate with the cement bags, noting that hunger is worse now, and that this modern way of farming should be implemented by all as a means of mitigating it
Speaking further, he urged the youths to desist from hard drugs and criminal idolatry, aimed at getting rich quick, stating that they lead to early graves, as there is no truth in such rituals in the name of tradition, reiterating that they should indulge in community development for the progress of the community.
The Royal Father in his message also directed the Native Doctors to ensure they are fully registered by the government so as to know one’s areas of specialization.
“I urge them to support Governor Soludo’s administration because he is doing well. We all see what he has been doing in Anambra State.
We are saying that he will go for the second tenure for continuity, so that after him, it will be our turn (the central).
“Let the responsible and wise people get involved in politics, to join the ruling party in the development of Uke community, because if you refuse, the bad ones will take your position and do bad instead of the good you should have done and God will punish such persons.
When we join politics, we would be able to get our portion both at the state and at the federal,”Igwe Agbala posited.
He emphasized that the celebration of the New Year festival is to thank God for the year’s bountiful harvest so that He will do more in the coming years.
In his speech, the member representing Idemili North/South in the House of Representatives, Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, expressed satisfaction with the 9th New Yam festival of Igwe Agbala and described New yam festival as an age long rich cultural heritage of the Igbo race
Hon. Okonkwo who was ably represented on the occasion by his Special Assistant, Uba Darlington Uchechukwu, explained further that, “It is Igbo tradition that we are witnessing today and that is why we are here.
“We are here, sent by Hon. Okonkwo to ensure that his constituency keys into the tradition, so he is here with us in spirit and we laud the monarch for the bountiful harvest and pray God to give the monarch long life and prosperity as he takes the community to the next level,”.
In an interview, His Royal Majesty, Barr. Dr.Emeka Anyaora, Igwe Chinyereze of Oraukwu said, “We are here for the celebration of the new yam festival of Uke, we are trying to keep our tradition alive, so it is the part of that Igbo ancient, Igbo custom and tradition.
On the speculation in some quarters that Igbo custom is going into extinction, he said, “It is growing from strength to strength, as you can see, the new yam festival is now a big thing, almost every community is celebrating a new yam festival in a very big way, it was not always like that but things have changed and it has improved.
“All the communities have corporated other Igbo festivals, like Ogidi is now doing their Nwafor and it has expanded.
Abatete is doing their Omaliko which is really taking a bigger shape, so Igbo custom and tradition is not going anywhere, it is here to stay.
“We are praying for Igwe Oranyelu of Uke for long life and prosperity, and for the people of Uke to keep listening to him for his guidance and his fatherly advice. And for him to also pay attention to the desires of his people,” he stated.
Corroborating Igwe Oraukwu’s position on tradition, his Lolo, Amaka Anyaora, Ocheze of Oraukwu reaffirmed that Igbo culture has come to stay and is not going anywhere but rather, Igbos are expanding on it, stating that some of the Igbo traditions that have been over looked before, are now being brought back, noting that, Igbo tradition is coming back alive in full force.
Advising women, she said, “Women have been the supportive vessels to their husbands, that is the reason they said,that behind every successful man, there is a supportive wife and that is a true word.
“So my advice to women is to help to build, because the word of God said that a good wife builds her home, so we should learn to build the home, it is not easy but a good wife perseveres and endures because the focus should be to build her home.
“I know a lot of our women are over bored, looking outside, being materialistic and sometimes, not cutting their coats according to their size because they all want to belong, and that is to put a lot of stress in the family and also mount a lot of pressure on their husbands because they want their husbands to do what other men are doing to their wives without considering the level of their husband.
“So if we, wives can learn how to cut our coats according to our size, know where you belong and be able to live according to your level, things will be a lot better and the stress and problems will be minimized.
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