Anambra Assembly Urges Soludo To Designate National Yam House Igboukwu As Tourist Centre
The Anambra State House of Assembly has called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to direct the Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Entertainment to designate the National Yam House, Igboukwu, as an official tourism and festival centre in the state.
The resolution followed a motion moved during today’s plenary by the member representing Aguata Constituency Two, Honourable Tony Muobike, who said the move would help harness the tourism and cultural potential of the National Yam Festival domiciled in Igboukwu.
Presenting the motion, Honourable Muobike explained that the Federal Government had earlier designated three cultural festivals as national festivals for the major ethnic groups in Nigeria; according to him, the Argungu Fishing Festival represents the northern region, the Osun-Osogbo Grove Festival represents the western region, while the Iri Ji Ndi Igbo Festival, domiciled in Igboukwu, Anambra State, represents the eastern region.
The lawmaker recalled that on 4th October 2007, the Federal Government inaugurated the National Yam House in Etiti Village, Igboukwu, as the national secretariat for the Yam Festival in Nigeria, while noting that other cultural and tourism institutions were also established in the community to strengthen the festival, including the National Art Exhibition Centre, the Centre for African Arts and Civilization, the National Gallery of Art, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, and the Nigerian Arts and Cultural Directory Project.
Honourable Muobike further stated that Igboukwu has remained a centre of cultural renaissance following the discovery of the famous Igboukwu Bronze in 1958, which has been dated to about 900 AD and recognised as one of Africa’s oldest archaeological artefacts.
The Speaker of the House, Right Honourable Somtochukwu Udeze, commended the sponsor of the motion and stressed the importance of promoting the cultural heritage of Ndi Anambra, assuring members that he would lead the House on a visit to the Yam House.
The member representing Aguata Constituency One, Honourable Anayo Okpalaeke; the Majority Leader, Sir Ikenna Ofodeme; the member representing Anambra East, Barrister Obi Nweke; and his Orumba South counterpart, Engineer Emma Nwafor, said the Yam House would serve as a tourist centre and place the state on a path to significant economic gains.
