- Culture is a unyfying element and a key tool in fostering peace, growth and societal development – Chief Moses Odunwa
Ebonyi State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon Chief Moses Odunwa recently lauded culture as a unifying element and a key tool in fostering peace, growth, and societal development.
While addressing the gathering at the 2023 Ikwo Noyo Nnefioha New Yam Festival in Edukwu Nnoyo Ekpelu, Ikwo Local Government Area, Odunwa expressed satisfaction at the event’s orderly execution. The festival took place in the ancestral birthplace of the Ikwo clan, attracting a vast array of attendees from all walks of life.
Odunwa emphasized that the festival, a significant cultural event for the Ikwo people, underscores the central values of peace and unity. He added that the New Yam festival offers a valuable chance for the people of Ikwo to contemplate their cultural heritage, which is increasingly threatened by the pressures of modernity. The festival provides a platform to devise strategies for reconnecting with their traditional values, which include hard work, integrity, healthcare, hospitality, humility, unity, and a shared sense of purpose.
Odunwa also pointed out that the festival is not only a time to revel in the unity and diversity of the Ikwo clan, but also an occasion to acknowledge individuals who have contributed to the advancement of the Ikwo people. He expressed his gratitude to the State Governor, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, and his wife, Uzoamaka, for their exemplary leadership and representation of the Ikwo people.
The speaker expressed his appreciation to the event’s organizers and attendees for their dedication and support. He voiced his anticipation that future celebrations will outshine the current one in terms of grandeur.
Hon. Ifeanyi Nwakpu, the representative of the Ikwo North Constituency in the State House of Assembly, also praised the Ikwo people for preserving their cultural heritage and urged them to impart these rich traditions to the younger generations.
The festival drew a diverse crowd, including members of the National Assembly, State House of Assembly Members, the State Executive Council, Local Government Chairmen, prominent politicians, traditional rulers, clergy, and business owners from the local area and beyond.
Marking the close of the traditional year, the Nnefioha in Ikwo heralds the start of a new traditional year.
SOURCE: NewTelegraph
IMAGE: DailyPost
