By Praise Chinecherem
Anambra State government has set N1 million prize for producer of the biggest yam tuber in the state during the 2024 New Yam festival.
Commissioner of Culture, Entertainment, and Tourism, Comrade Don Onyenji made the disclosure while featuring on a radio program, ‘Ask the Commissioner,’ at Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), Awka.
Onyenji who featured alongside the Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, described New Yam Festival as number one festival in Igboland, tracable to many centuries of history and meant to renew relationships between individuals and communities, among others.
He said the 2024 Anambra New Yam Festival would combine the New Yam and Masquerade Festivals, adding that there would be โDi Jiโ prizes for the biggest yam tubers produced in Anambra.
According to him, Governor Chukwuma Soludo, gave N1 million to the producer of the biggest yam last year, and such was expected this year with all the Local Government Areas also expected to attend with at least one masquerade.
He said, “New Yam Festival as the number one festival in Igboland, traced to many centuries of history and meant to renew relationships between individuals and communities, among others, and that brings people back home, encourages unity and enhances the culture and tradition of communities and Igbo land.
Disclosing that his ministry has the list of all the masquerades in the State and is promoting the use of the Igbo language, Onyenji commended Mr Governor for promoting culture through dressing in Akwaete and wearing made-in Anambra shoes.
He also commended the Information Commissioner, Dr Mefor, for promoting culture through the use of the Igbo red cap and commended the Governor’s wife, Mrs Nonye Soludo, for encouraging people to patronise homemade foods instead of synthetic foods.
Onyenji, who regretted the lavish style of burials in Igboland, equally frowned at the attitude of undertakers who abuse corpses, urging them to desist from it.
He called on mothers to teach their children how to cook Igbo foods and charged children to embrace the tradition of greeting elders each time they come across them.
In the area of tourism, he emphasised that tourism goes beyond the many newly constructed roads, schools, etc., pointing out that with the Solution Fun City, which is expected to be the biggest in this part of the country and beyond, Anambra will be the talk of the town.
He disclosed that Anambra leads in filmmaking in the country, adding that the state intends to return the prestigious ANAWOOD to enable Anambra to take its rightful place in the film industry.
The Commissioner commended Mr Governor for awarding the dual carriageway from Amawbia to Ekwulobia and Nwagu Agulu to Okija, which he said was part of tourism.
Dr. Mefor, in his contributions, urged Ndแป Anambra to come out en masse for this year’s Anambra New Yam Festival.
