CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL: UKWULU MONARCH TASKS GOVT. ON JOB CREATION, FREE EDUCATION

It was indeed a memorable moment for the people of Ukwulu Ancient Kingdom in Dunukofia Local Government Area who turned out in their large numbers at Udodimma Primary School Field of the community on their best Christmas attire to celebrate the 2021 Ukwulu Christmas Carnival.

Declaring the Christmas Carnival open, the Traditional Ruler of the community, Igwe Peter Anaukwu Uyanwa, said that the event allows them to come together, eat and wine with one another and as well showcase richly endowed talents and culture.

Igwe Uyanwa, who was represented at the occasion by the President- General of the community, Chief Iyofu Ubah, said that the annual celebration of the Christmas Carnival in the community paves way for enduring peace, unity and progress of the community.

The monarch, who sponsored the event single-handedly, maintained that the community had established a watertight security outfit in the area to ensure proper protection of the people’s lives and property in the area.

He noted that when it comes to security in the country that Governor Willie Obiano remains the best despite all the challenges, stressing that Anambra State is the safest state in the country today.

He pleaded with the Federal Government to create job opportunities for the teeming unemployed Nigerian youths who were roaming around the streets in search of unavailable white-collar jobs as well as work towards providing free education to the Nigeria children who come from poor backgrounds to put to an end the issues of the lingering insecurity, unemployment, hunger and poverty in the land.

Speaking on achievements and plans of the community for next year, Igwe Uyanwa, said that the leadership of the community is consulting with Anambra State Government to grant them their request to embark on rehabilitation work on the abandoned water boreholes across the four quarters of the community, Amagwu, Adaegbe, Etiti and Umuagama villages whom he said, have no functional source of potable water for so many years now.

According to him, the community has started palliative work on potholes on the Ukpo-Awkuzu junction with asphalt to make it accessible as well as complete the lockup shops they built at the Afor Ukwulu Market square among others.

To him, a former Vice-Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, Professor Fidelis Okafor, maintained that every 28th December that the community come together, see themselves, thank God and praise Jesus Christ whom he described as the reason for the season.

He noted that the carnival was dedicated to promoting the celebration of the birth of Jesus in the area where the people, especially the children mingle together with their peers and talk with one another in an atmosphere of the social reality in a peaceful manner and love.

Professor Okafor, who said that he had sponsored the carnival for ten years, thanked Igwe Uyanwa for starting where he stopped, adding that the event promotes unity and conviviality among the Ukwulu people.

The event which was attended by friends and well-wishers of the community, featured special performances by Father Christmas who danced around the venue of the event with children who were full of cheers, while Ijele and Izaga masquerades, as well as the Omelueme cultural group, equally entertained the teaming guests.

RPT.Obiorah Anthony.