By Abbanobi -Eku Onyeka, Abuja
Awba Ofemmili Community in Abuja has won first position with 266 marks in the cultural and other competitions at the 2025 edition of Anambra Day celebrated in Abuja on Saturday.
Anambra State Town’s People Association (ASTPA) has on Saturday marked its biennial cultural day at the Moshood Abiola International Stadium, in Abuja
According to ESV Okoye Benjamin and Engr Charles Ekwuagana, the Ivemelumma na Nteje, Oyi, the Media Committee Chairman and the Secretary, Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the 2025 edition respectively, Enugwu Agidi, Awkuzu, Nteje took second, third and forth positions, with 257, 251 and 245 marks respectively, while Achina, Nnewi, and Ezinifite came bracket with fifth position, having scored 236 marks each.
With 233, 229, 223, 220 and 219 marks each, Onitsha, Obosi, Ihiala, Ekwulobia, and Umueri came 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10 position respectively.
However, criteria for appraisal for the evaluation of performance for the hired judges were punctuality, which gets 15 marks; attendance (men and women), 15 marks; appearance/costume, 10, component, 15; cultural display, 20 and; payment of raffle ticket before the event/debt -free town, 25 marks.
Recalled that counting of towns’ unions members at their various seating slots usually starts by 8 am and usually, it is done by judges from National Institute for Cultural Orientation, Abuja, and each town union is expected to be at their slots before the time.
The Chairman of the occasion, father of the day, mother of the day, Senator Ben Obi (Ojeligbo), Chief Simon Okeke, (Okeke), a former Police Service Commission Chairma and Chief (Mrs) Christy Uba, Odiuko na Mba 1 of Ekwulobia similarly hailed the organizers of the event and urged other town unions to keep promoting rich cultures of the state and love, unity and peace, in line with the theme of the 2025 edition of Onulu Ube Nwanne Agbanaoso, meaning: Always come to your brother’s rescue at the time of difficulty.
Others who hailed the organizers and urged continued peace and unity among members, host community and other states in the Federal Capital Territory were Chief Ikechukwu Nwokechi, the Igweawobo of Dusogu, Awkuzu, Chief Vitus Ofodum the Ikenga Mbawsi and
Chief Basil Okafor, the Ichie Dusogu III in Awkuzu.
Hailing the committee members who made the event successful, the town unions who participated and those who won different positions at the event, the ASTPA President General, Sir Arinze Anadu (Nwachinemelu) said: “On behalf of the entire leadership of the ASTPA, I wish to express our deep appreciation to all Committee Members and Member Town Unions for their remarkable contributions, commitments and compliance towards the success of 2025 Anambra Day.
Your contributions made the event a resounding success. The beauty of our cultural heritage, and the strength of our people were all on full display.
We commend the Chairmen and Executives, for the massive mobilization, participation and colorful representation of their various communities’ heritages.
The success of this year’s Anambra Day is a clear testimony that Anambra Day Celebration is the largest Igbo cultural carnival outside Igbo land. It also shows that when Ndi Anambra come together in love and purpose, we achieve great things.
Let us continue to build on this spirit of unity, cooperation, cultural pride, while setting the pace for other sociocultural organizations to emulate and try, and let’s never abandon a brother in need (Onuru ube nwanne agbana oso).
