Enugwu-Ukwu community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State has celebrated its 68th Igu Aro Festival, an annual cultural event held to showcase the town’s heritage, thank God for the past year, and seek blessings for the coming year.
The ceremony featured the conferment of chieftaincy titles on notable individuals who have contributed to the development of the community, including Anambra-born businessman, Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana. While breaking the kola, the traditional ruler of Enugwu-Ukwu, Igwe Ralph Ekpeh, expressed gratitude to God for His blessings on the community and offered prayers for a more prosperous year ahead.
Igwe Ekpeh urged indigenes of the town to be good ambassadors wherever they reside and announced that the community would begin the formal recognition of its elderly citizens, in line with the biblical directive to honour elders.
In separate remarks, prominent sons of the community, including former Managing Director of ABS, Chief Uche Nworah; Chief Basil Mbuba; Nollywood actor, Chief Ugoezue Ugoezue; and a friend of the community, Dr Ndubuisi Ugo, praised the rich culture and traditions of Enugwu-Ukwu. They called on Igbo people to preserve and promote their cultural heritage, describing it as their identity and a source of pride.
Also speaking at the event, the Oba of Ikorodu Kingdom, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, stressed the importance of stronger cooperation between the Igbo and Yoruba ethnic groups to enhance their collective relevance in the country. He also pledged to serve as a father figure to Igbo residents in Lagos State.
