Council Chairman Organises Cultural Day, Unveils Okadigbo Statue, Gives Awards

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

The Oyi Local Government Chairman, Hon.Emma Nweke weekend Organised a cultural day for all the communities under the Local Government, unveiled the statue of the former Senate President, Late Hon.Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, and presented awards to some illustrious sons who have contributed immensely to the development of the area.

Speaking, the council chairman, Iga said, “We want to promote the culture of our people, remember men of yesterday, we have forgotten the people that taught us something, not the taught of money, there are good things they did, they taught us, so we want to appreciate them, what we did here today was to send signal so those people who will feel compensated.

“Some will say after so many years, they were not remembered, this is a message for those that have become wary of doing good things , so that they will continue, there are people by the side watching, when the record comes, they will be remembered.

He lamented that Igbo culture is going into extinction saying, “Our culture is going into extinction, these masquerades and others have nothing to do with fetish things ,we have to bring to the front burner our culture at all time, everything eaten here is all locally made, utazi, ukpaka, palm oil, roasted yam and plantain.

“We can afford to cook rice and other foreign things, but those things are not what we are doing here, we want to go back to the old because they are medicinal,” he stated

On the proposed coppers lodge, he said, “It is going to cost us a lot but we are ready for that, what we did here is to carry people along, before four months’ time we will start it, that is the promise I made to corps members here, I will soon start because I benefitted from the corpers lodge during my year as a corper, so it worries me that we don’t have such here, so it is one of the things I will do before I leave office,” he vowed.

In her speech, his wife, commended the council boss for written his name in the sands of time, adding that what he did was to enact culture, and expressed satisfaction that she was part of it.

Commending the council chairman, Hon. Emmanuel Nweke Iga, traditional rulers and people in the area for giving honour to those who deserve it, Hon.Chinedu Nwoye, State Chief of protocols, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Charles Soludo, urged them not to relent in granting such honour.

“I like as the chairman and you people honoured former Senate President, Okadigbo, Okadigbo was an illustrious son, Oyi of Oyi, and other people you honoured, especially the monument in this Local Government Area, it is a welcome development.

“Emma Nweke, is trying, he organised this cultural day, cultural fiesta, I want to encourage other communities to be doing it, more people will be honoured, I saw some posthumous awards, more people will be recognised, whatever you are doing on this earth, ask what you will be remembered for. I ask people to leave legacies for their children, children children, generation unborn,” he pleaded..

“It was to give honour to whom honour is due, give Caesar what belongs to him and God what belongs to Him, we encourage good culture like this, we discourage the fetish ones, we embrace the one that brings unity, love and peace to communities, ” he stated..

Earlier, son to Frank Oramulu, Uchenna Oramulu, commended the council chairman for the event adding that it has never been done before, and should continue .

“This is what we want especially in Anambra state, people with ideas, people with innovations, people that look out for what has not been done before and do it for the betterment of the society as it is today, it transforms individual serving in public offices and other places, knowing that whatever they do, at the end of the day, must be recognised.

The legacy my dad left for the family is doggedness, doggedness irrespective of what others are saying as long as what you are doing is good and not only beneficial to you but to the society.

“For instance, my dad built the civic center in Awkuzu, but before he built it, there was several launching in Awkuzu to build that civic center for number of years but when he started it irrespective of what people were saying, that he cannot do it, he carried it upon himself and built it,” he further disclosed.

In his words, Chief Obi Ezeani, who represented his father, that was honoured, Chief Lazarus Ezeani, whose statue is at Nkwere Awkuzu, in front of the maternity hospital, said his father died 60 years ago and is remembered for what he did.

“He was the first prime minister in the then Eastern region Nigeria, he built the road from oye agu to otuocha in the late 50s. Former Senate President, Okadigbo was an accomplished person, well educated at his very young age, both political and academically, he left a legacy for young people to emulate,” he explained.

In his own contribution, Hon.Obinwanne Collins, Commissioner for Chieftaincy, local Government and Political Matters, said that they were going to let other Local Government Areas to emulate such from Oyi council Area by displaying their cultural dance, among others.

He pledged to partner with the Commissioner for Local Government, to use the opportunity to tell the people that the award given to them will spur them to do more.

The President General of Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Chief Willie Okafor, described Chuba Okadigbo as great son of Oyi, adding that the honour given to him is a well deserved honour, as the former Senate President of Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“He was a pillar and I commend the TC chairman and every other stakeholder for remembering him and bestowing the honour to him,” he said.

Also Dr Ejike Ogoegbunan, PG Awkuzu, stated that, “It is an appreciation to Okadigbo, Oyi of Oyi, appreciation from his people on the type of life he lived, people should emulate him for the good works he did in Oyi and Nigeria in general,” he maintained.

Others that were given awards were Late Chief Frank Oramulu, a former member of House of Representatives, Hon. Lazarus N. Ezeani, late Igwe (Prof.) J.C. Menakaya of Umunya, a philanthropist, Chief Oguejiofor Nwakoby of Nkwelle-Ezunaka, and a music icon, Chief Akunwafor E. Obiligbo.

Among the traditional rulers that graced the occasion included, Igwe Obiorah Anachuna of Nkwelle-Ezunaka, and that of Awkuzu, Igwe (Prof) Charles M. Anikweze.

Pic shows the unveiling of Okadigbo’s statue by the Catholic Bishop of Aguleri Diocese, Most Rev Dennis Isiuzo.