Phil Okose, Onitsha
Traders in Anambra State under the aegis of Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders’ Association, ASMATA, Sunday, celebrated the 2026 New Yam Festival at the ASMATA secretariat, Modebe Avenue, Onitsha.
The ASMATA President General, PG, Chief Humphrey Anuna, who presided over the event, came up first with a prayer that preceded the cutting of the new yam he got from his farm.
In his prayer, he thanked God for the gift of nature, adding that yam is the king of all crops and urged all to emulate Governor Chukwuma Soludo who has distributed assorted agricultural produce to the people of the state in a bid to go into farming as means of fighting hunger.
“”Everybody must embark on farming as a remedy to hunger. The yam I am cutting today is from my farm. I am a trader and farmer. So I thank God for the harvest of this year and pray for bumper harvest next year .
“This yam which is roasted, we will eat it to keep body and soul together in Jesus name, Amen. Every trader present is free to eat the newyam for I have prayed to God for His blessing as we eat the newyam,” he stated.
Anuna described new yam as a period of harvesting agricultural produce and preparation for the next farming season disclosing that the celebration was inherited from our ancestors whose main occupation was farming.
Reacting, the chairman of Haruna Street Market, Chief Emmanuel Idoko, expressed satisfaction with the new yam’s celebration by traders, disclosing that Anuna was the first to celebrate new yam festival for traders and urged him not to relent in piloting the affairs of traders in the state.
He described the ASMATA PG as God-sent to take the traders to the promised Land and commended Governor Soludo for appointing Anuna as the ASMATA PG.
He revealed that peace which had ab initio eluded the traders had been restored by Anuna.
Also in her contribution, the ASMATA women leader, Hon. Grace Okonkwo, thanked God for given them the person of Anuna, stating that on assumption of office Anuna united all the warring factions and increased the revenue (IGR) base of markets in the state.
She thanked God for the celebration of the new yam by traders and prayed God to continue to keep Anuna and direct him as he pilots the affairs of the traders.
Among those who witnessed the celebration were the ASMATA Make-Way team, ASMATA Youths, Pineleaf Estate realtors, market chairmen and other stakeholders.
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