• Honours 59 illustrious sons, daughters

Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha

Recently, the people of Uke Community in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State gathered again to celebrate the second annual Uke Day festival.

The people used the occasion to celebrate the unity, peace and progress of the community, as well as confer various awards on illustrious sons and daughters who have contributed towards the stabilization of peace and development of the area.

The festival commenced with an inter-denominational service conducted by indigenous priests and pastors of the community and directed by the Onitsha Chapter President of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International (FGBFI), Gibson Chukwujindu. The people also used the occasion to launch their mini-stadium complex and as a re-union period.

The categories of the awards included Star Platinum given to five persons; Star Diamond award given to 12 persons; Star Gold award given to 23 persons; Star Progressive award given to three persons; Star patriarch award given to three persons; Star Noble Friends award given to three persons, Star Prestigious award given to one person; and Star Posthumous award given to five persons. 

One of those who received the posthumous award was Bishop Vincent Ezeonyia of Aba Catholic Diocese, a native of Uke.

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President-General of Uke Development Union (UDU), Ikedi Obi, noted that the essence of the ceremony was to recognize those who contributed to the growth and development of the community, adding that he was happy that peace and unity has finally returned to the community, after several years of Igweship crisis in the area.

He appealed to everyone to remain peaceful and industrious towards the execution of some important projects in the area such as the ongoing mini-stadium complex.

The traditional ruler of Uke, Igwe Charles Agbala, insisted that peace has come to stay in the community even as he warned that at no time would the people compromise the unity and development of the area throughout his reign. He commended Governor Willie Obiano for scoring highest votes in all the 21 local government areas of the state during the November 18, 2017 governorship election.

He urged the governor to reciprocate the good gesture of the Uke people by fulfilling the promise of embarking on a new road project to link Eke-Agu Abatete, Okpokolo and Appeal Court, with spurs to Eke Uke market and VIP, Umuoji. 

Chairman of Uke Day Planning Committee, Anayochukwu Emmanuel; Chairman of Uke Day Celebration, Dr. Okafor Ejike Echesiogu and the immediate past President-General of UDU, Chief Chukwuemeka Donatus Enendu, in separate speeches all noted that the award would spur all the awardees to assist in moving the community forward.

Specifically, Enendu who was among the five who won the Star Platinum award, advised the people to remain peaceful, saying that any form of rancour and disagreement would plunge the community back to an endless crisis as it had witnessed in the past, before the emergence of the incumbent traditional ruler of the community, who he said restored peace and tranquility.

One of the Star Gold awardees and Chairman, Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Onitsha Police Area Command, Sir Vic Agubisi, noted that the award would definitely spur him to do more good things for the community, adding that he specifically appreciated the award because it came from his home town, unlike other numerous national and international awards he had received from other organizations and communities.