The quest for the decimation of hunger in Nigeria should be taken beyond immediate paltry palliatives distribution by some politicians to laying a strong foundation for sustainable food sufficiency.
On August 25, the representative of Afikpo and Edda Federal Constituency, Ebonyi State, Iduma Enwo Igariwey, demonstrated this.
Popularly known as Okpudo (Peace Maker) by his constituents, Igariwey has continued to effectively utilise his several established platforms to positively impact the lives of his constituents.
He then chose the 2024 edition of his annual cultural New Yam festival lecture series to massively empower his constituents with agricultural inputs.
He distributed over 200 bags of hybrid rice seeds with a corresponding number of bags of fertilisers and agro chemicals.
As a grassroots people’s representative, Igariwey, the Deputy Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, did not stop at that.
He backed up the inputs with cash grants to enable the farmers defray some labour costs.
Igariwey said: “You have seen that we are here today to celebrate the product of the farm.
“I wish to encourage everyone to begin to toe the line of farming.
“So doing, we can nail the prevalent hunger in the land, at least to a level of attaining full subsistence status
“So, today, we want to start a pilot agric project with rice farmers because of its current high cost.
“We have compiled a list of rice farmers from communities in our constituency and even beyond, and today we are going to share to 200 persons these 200 bags of rice seeds for cultivation in the next season.
“This is a pilot scheme I introduced to help our people.
“More names are still being collated, and we still have more than these 200 to be distributed.”
For the past four years, the representative has continued to further cement the bond of love and unity existing between the Edda and the Afikpo peoples through this annual lecture, tagged: “Okpudo Ikeji Annual Lecture.”
It has remained a rendezvous of intellectual, cultural and economic empowerment for the constituents, scaling party and religious boundaries.
Speaking on his motivation for instituting the New Yam lecture series, Igariwey, who is also the Leader, South East Caucus of the House of Representatives, stated: “Our culture as far as I’m concerned, represents who we are as a people.
“A people without a culture is like salt without taste.
“So, I think it’s very important that it be preserved.
“In the lecture series, I have tried to present to my people, to the global audience and my constituents all over the world, I have tried to reinforce the core values of our tradition, which has passed through the crucible of Western civilisation.
“Yes, Western civilisation is good, but it is good to the extent that it does not extinguish our culture, our values and our ethos.
“Most times, we don’t tell our own story.
“When you allow the white man to define you, he will define your culture as being repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience.
“So, it is for us to show that our culture is dynamic, always evolving, and those that are not fit for purpose, we keep aside.
“But those positive ones, we must continue to project.”
In his lecture, which hinged on the theme for the year’s celebration: “The Ikeji (New yam) Festival in Afikpo and Edda: Food, Culture, Lifestyle and Health,” the guest lecturer and a Professor of Medicine, Public Health and Nutrition, Dr. Henry Uro-Chukwu, went down memory lane to establish the reason behind the special honour given to yam in the culture.
Uro-Chukwu maintained that the new yam celebration marks the end of the old year and the beginning of a new year, thereby signifying the advent of fresh hopes, aspirations and socio-economic advancement in most Igbo communities.
He enjoined the people to revive the cultivation and consumption of certain highly nutritious traditional crops, domestic and wild vegetables, which have continued to diminish and are facing threats of extinction.
While regretting the unbridled appetite for fast and synthetic foods, especially by the young generation of the people, he made a strong case for a return to natural foods, which, he maintained, were both nutritious and medicinal.
While setting the tone for the event, the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Arua Oko, bemoaned the gradually eroding social, environmental and food culture in most parts of Igboland, blaming it on what he described as “the collapse of the ecosystem and the controversial notion of modernity”.
Oko said: “Modernity has pushed our people towards food culture homogenisation, thereby rendering some food sources primitive and disgusting.
“Consequently, good food sources such as plants and animals that had been valued through the history of our existence have either been destroyed or abandoned.”
Oko commended what he described as the visionary leadership of Igariwey, which he said has birthed greater progress in the constituency, adding that the first celebration in 2021 inspired a research that gave birth to a book, titled: “The Bond: A Study of Intergroup Relations between Afikpo and Edda.”
He added: This is the fourth year we have celebrated the new yam Festival as a constituency.
“And we have achieved a lot through the progressive and visionary leadership of Hon. Idu Igariwey.”
Across political divides and varying ideological inclinations, the constituents, obviously pleased with their representative, were all united in thanks to him for the cultural revival and value strengthening birthed by the initiative.
Speaking to newsmen, the Chairman of Edda Local Government Area, Chima Ekumankama; incoming Chairman of Afikpo Local Government area, Timothy Nwachi; and member representing Afikpo North East Constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Oluchukwu Ukie Ezeali, took turns to eulogise their federal lawmaker as a bridge builder, a passionate cultural revivalist and a man of the people.
Ekumankama summed: “I am from a royal home, and I know what a people’s culture and traditions stand for.
“And I thank God for the person of Okpudo (Igariwey), who understands the place of culture in uniting and bonding a people.
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“So, I’m excited over what I’ve seen here today.”
For those who benefited from the agricultural inputs, tubers of new yam and cash gifts distributed by the Representative, including Oko Azu, Inya Egwu, and Orji Nkama, among others.
The event featured a generous display of the rich cultural music, folk songs and dances of Afikpo and Edda people.
It also featured the unveiling of a book edited by two scholars: Ikenna Unya and Chris Kwaja, in honour of Igariwey.
The book is titled: “Contending Issues in Nigeria’s Democracy and Development: Essays in Honour of Rt. Hon. Igariwey Iduma Enwo.”
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