HRH Eze Anele A. Oriebe, the Nyenwe-Ali/paramount ruler of Akpor kingdom has called on the people of Akpor to sustain their peaceful coexistence to attract more development and investors in the area.
Eze Oriebe made the call while in a chat with journalists in his palace during this year’s celebration of the new yam festival at Ozuoba Akpor kingdom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Eze Oriebe who recalled the existence of the annual new year festival noted that it started over one thousand years ago, pointing out that the major impact of the celebration is that, it showcases unity, love, oneness and harmony among the people of Akpor kingdom and their visitors as the celebration is regarded as the week of peace just like in “Things Fall Apart” a book written by Chinua Achebe where a period was set aside as a week of peace at that period people live in harmony celebrate peacefully with one another.
Eze Oriebe who was a former staff of the Nigeria Television Authority NTA described this year’s celebration of new yam festival as unique as people attended the events more than the previous years.
On his advice to the people of Emohua LGA as there were crisis rocking the area especially the Ibaa town in Emohua LGA where the youths of the area clashed with one another with guns killing innocent persons and destruction of houses and properties worth of millions.
Eze Oriebe advised the people of Emohua to emulate the people of Akpor in their peaceful manner to allow development to be visible in their area.
He further enjoined Rivers people and the nation at large to always inculcate the habit of unity, peace and oneness irrespective of their religions, ethnicity and political affiliations.
Similarly, Chief Oliver Wobo described the ceremony as annual event and a period where new yam and other crops were harvested from the farm produce and eating for the first time of every year.
He noted that it was the period the paramount ruler of Akpor announces and mandate everyone in the kingdom to start eating their yams and other crops describing Akpor as peaceful area.
Sir Chief Rowland Odum of Oginigba community described the new yam festival as a highly respected culture in Ikwerre land, stressing that it is a way of reserving the Ikwerre culture.
Sir Chief Odum who is also the Secretary of the Nyewe Ali/Paramount Ruler of Oginigba town and the Assistant Secretary Oginigba Council of Chiefs expressed delight that the community was peaceful. ###
