The grande finale of the 2025 New Yam Festival of Awa Ancient Kingdom in Oguta LGA,Imo state has taken
place at the community primary school Awa with a call on Ndigbo to embark on renewed agricultural revolution to ensure food security in the region and to restore yam as the king of crops.
The Traditional Paramount Ruler of Awa Ancient Kingdom , HRM Eze Ihezie Felix Ononuju, lgwe
Ogidiga who made the call in his annual Royal Address at the ceremony said that the neglect of
agriculture has been responsible for the economic downturn experienced in the region. He advised
Social Clubs, Non-governmental organizations, religious bodies and good spirited individuals to channel their resources to agricultural ventures. Eze Ononuju frowned at a situation where Ndigbo celebrate their New yam
festival with yams cultivated in other lands and expressed the hope that Awa community will in the nearest future celebrate with yams cultivated on Awa soil.
The Awa 2025 New yam festival which also marked the 23rd coronation anniversary of Eze Ononuju
provided a good opportunity for him to counsel his people on the need to remain law abiding and shun acts capable of creating disunity, rancour and violence in the community, stressing that no meaningful progress
will be achieved in an atmosphere of rancour and instability. He advised parents to closely monitor their children to ensure they do not join cult groups.
Eze Ononuju enumerated some of the achievements recorded by the community under his watch to
include maintenance of law and order, settlement of legal tussles and disputes among the people.
He also said he had established a standard vigilante outfit, development of an ultramodern Traditional Archives and
Hall of Fame, attraction of development projects from government agencies and promotion of culture and tradition.
He charged the people to remain 3-R compliant as the Shared Prosperity government of Senator Hope Uzodinma has been carrying Awa community along in the scheme of things He also appealed to the State Governor to construct
the Ukwuorhi-Awa-Nkwesi-Kalabari Beach road, a road that traverses about twelve autonomous communities. According to him when upgraded the road will boost economic activities in the area .
In their separate speeches the President General of Awa Town Union Engr. Rowland Mmerem Eburuo and the SA to the Traditional Prime Minister, Chief Dandy Unamma gave the assurance that all hands must be on deck to achieve the goals of Awa collective dreams .
The ceremony featured public viewing of the Traditional Archives and Hall of Fame by some personalities, where Eze Ononuju paid glowing tributes to the founding fathers of the community and that has contributed to the success story of Awa Ancient Kingdom.
There were also masquerade and cultural displays, fashion parade and performances by the twenty seven villages of the ommunity which brought the even to happy end.
