The traditional ruler Ogidi kingdom, Igwe Alex Onyido has appealed to the people of the community to join hands in development of the town in the areas of infrastructure and security support.
He said that the essence of mass return during the Nwafor Festival was for the prominent and wealthy men in the community to come together to articulate ideas and contribute to development of the area.
Igwe Onyido who said this in his palace to mark the end of the Masquerade festival otherwise known as Nwafor festival to mark the end of planting session of the community, said that community development should be encouraged where the wealthy people contribute their quota to providing basic amenities, security gadgets and infrastructure for the community instead of wholely depending on government.
He said: “We should see Nwafor Festival as a period to rally for people of Ogidi to gather to discuss their development. It is a period we should chart a way forward and contribute to the development of the community. A period when all Ogidi indigenes wherever they are should return home to support the community in security and infrastructure.
” Our people should plan for home coming for the festival to contribute their quota in the community development and to move the town forward.
“The festival ended in peace, no violence and we give God the glory. I have declared the festival closed for the year and all masquerades cease to be seen anywhere in Ogidi. And any masquerade seen on the streets of Ogidi face the wrath of the community and will be sanctioned accordingly.
“I want to commend the security agents and vigilance groups for the security of lives and property before, during and after the festival which was a huge success without violence or any criminal act, ” Igwe Onyido said.
Meanwhile, the Idemili North Local Governments youths union and Ogidi town youths have bestowed a prestigious award of excellence “Grand Patron of the youths on Igwe Onyido for his unrelenting intervention in welfare of youths in Ogidi community, Idemili LGA, Anambra State as well as Nigeria in general.
Leaders of youths noted that the monarch had made a remarkable impact on lives of many youths through creation of employments, empowerments, both morally and inspirationally.
The award which came during the Nwafor Ogidi youths masquerades carnival at the town hall, saw many prominent people from Ogidi and outside the community who gathered to witness the carnival where different masquerades big and small displayed according to their villages and age grades in the community.
While receiving the awards from the two union’s leaders namely; Comrade Chudi Chukelu, Youth leader Umuoji Town and Mayor of all youths in Idemili North LGA, Comrade Ken Okoli President General ASATU Youths Anambra State, Hon. Chris Obi Okafor, President General Ogidi Youths, Igwe Onyido thanked the youths for honouring him and commended them for a peaceful and violence free festival.
The monarch also promised them that if they continue to excel in the next year’s edition of the carnival that he will support them both morally and financially adding that he is impressed with the peace that prevailed throughout the period.
Speaking on the current hardship being witnessed by many families in the country especially among the youths in Nigeria, the monarch who had empowered over 5000 youths in his community through the provision of employments in his pharmaceutical company located in his community as well as payment of stipends to all old citizens aged 80 years and above in his community, warned the youths on dangers of staying idle and being lazy.
He noted that every youths must attach himself with one job or entrepreneurship or the other, admonishing them to embrace agricultural endeavors, like farming, poultry, etc as there is a lot of opportunities in agricultural endeavors for youths to explore.
“I am warning every youths not to be idle, no matter the situation they found themselves because staying idle will lead them to evil things, let them now explore agriculture or learn an entrepreneurial skill. There is a lot of opportunities in agriculture, like farming, poultry etc or learning one handiwork or the other” he charged.
Earlier in his address, the President general Ogidi Youths Hon. Chris Obi Okafor while highlighting the cultural importance of Nwafor Ogidi Festival to the people of the community noted that the Festival reminds them of vital principles of unity, tradition as well as communal spirit adding that the Festival in the town transcends mere festivity but stands as a powerful affirmation of their community shared identity, cherished values and collective history as proud descendant of Ogidi kingdom.
He said that the incorporation of this year maiden youth carnival within the Nwafor Festival has heralded a colourful and unforgettable event which has brought pride, unity and profound sense of belonging among the town youths.
He noted that as the town youth president that the development has given him hope, progress and unyielding determination to assure that their future is bright adding that the event has now become an indispensable component of recognition of its as pivotal role of coordinating youth engagement in preventing social unrest and upheaval.
The highlights of the occasion was conferment of other distinguished awards on twelve eminent citizens of Ogidi as well as bestowing of four post humous awards on deceased citizens of the town for their valuable contributions to the development of the community when they were alive, cultural dances and masquerade displays among others.
