By Olisemeka Sony

The Priest in Charge of St. Lawrence Anglican Church, Ndiowu, Canon Dr. Divine Abalogwu, has charged the traditional ruler of Ndiowu, Igwe (Sir) Ben Chibuzor Okekeifi, members of his cabinet, town union leaders and other stakeholders to make unity and sustainable peace their top priority.

Abalogwu gave the charge while delivering a sermon at the Palace of EzedioraNma Ndiowu during the community’s New Yam Festival, the first such communal celebration in more than 50 years.

Addressing a large gathering of Ndiowu indigenes and other stakeholders, the cleric described the occasion as a new dawn for the community and urged all stakeholders to work together to prevent a return to the divisions and crises of the past.

He particularly appealed to the traditional ruler to use his position as the royal father of the community to promote reconciliation and unite the people.

“Your mission is to unite Ndiowu. I want to beg you as the chief priest of St. Lawrence Anglican Church, Ndiowu. Come rain, come sunshine, no matter what is happening, let your focal point be to unite Ndiowu.”

Abalogwu urged the monarch to remain focused on the unity of Ndiowu regardless of pressure from different interests, stressing that the prosperity of the community was tied to its unity.

“No matter how you are pushed, if they push you on the right or the left, whatever happens, know that the unity of Ndiowu is paramount.”

“I know that if Ndiowu is united and prosperous, everybody will be better off,” he added, urging the monarch to make whatever sacrifice necessary to preserve the unity of the community.

“Whatever sacrifice you will make to unite Ndiowu, do it. It is not too big.”

The cleric also called on members of the royal cabinet to provide wise counsel and clear direction to the traditional ruler, warning against actions that could take the community back to its troubled past.

He said all indigenes of Ndiowu should be regarded as one, irrespective of their differences, and urged stakeholders to place the collective interest of the community above personal or sectional interests.

“Everybody from Ndiowu should be seen as a united entity, no matter their differences. Let our mission, our vision, our aim and our purpose be to unite Ndiowu.”

Abalogwu further warned that any agenda capable of dividing the community should be rejected, while competent individuals should be supported to contribute to Ndiowu’s development.

“Whatever will bring division to Ndiowu, may it not succeed. Whoever can deliver should be employed. Whoever can do it best should be recognised.”

He extended the appeal to Ndiowu indigenes living at home and in the diaspora, reminding them that despite their differences, they shared a common identity and destiny.

“We have one community and that community is Ndiowu. As St. Paul said, we are one blood. Either by birth or cohabitation, we have become one. So let us be one.”

The cleric specifically cautioned indigenes against giving or acting on advice that could create division within the community.

“If there is anything you will say that will bring division in Ndiowu, don’t say it. Swallow it and take two bottles of water. If you go to your village or kindred, speak of unity and not disunity.”

He said divisive tendencies remained a challenge in many communities and urged Ndiowu indigenes to learn from past experiences by choosing reconciliation and unity.

Abalogwu concluded his message with a prayer for the continued unity and peace of Ndiowu. “Father, make Ndiowu to be united. May God help us to sustain that unity. Amen.”

Also speaking, the Vice President-General of Ndiowu, Engr. Emeka Akabogu, expressed optimism that the community had entered a new phase of peace and progress.

Akabogu said the New Yam Festival should serve not merely as a cultural celebration but as an opportunity to consolidate unity among the people.

“This year’s New Yam Festival will be a vehicle for unification of Ndiowu; a vehicle for peace and progress. Every form of retrogression or backwardness, from today onward, we banish them from our land.”

He expressed confidence that the festival would become a reference point for the community and that subsequent editions would be bigger and better.

Akabogu also proposed the introduction of a competition for the best yam-producing village from the next edition, saying the initiative would encourage farmers and promote agricultural productivity.

“Next year, there should be a competition for villages that had the biggest yam harvest in Ndiowu. Those that had greater harvests will be given prizes so that farmers in the community will work harder.”

Former Majority Leader of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Emeka Aforka, also welcomed what he described as the restoration of peace and unity in Ndiowu.

“My message to Ndiowu is that peace and unity have been restored to our community. Our community is now better and we will be celebrating New Yam Festival with joy and peace.”

Mrs. Ifeoma Ekwueme, daughter of Ndiowu and wife of the late former Vice President of Nigeria, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, similarly expressed support for the renewed atmosphere of peace and unity.

She recalled that Ndiowu had not witnessed such a communal New Yam Festival for more than 50 years and urged the people to ensure that the community never returned to its troubled past.

“For over 50 years, we have not had this kind of gathering for the celebration of New Yam Festival. My prayer is that nothing will take us back to where we were.”

Ekwueme called on Ndiowu indigenes to support the traditional ruler in his efforts to build a peaceful and prosperous community. “It is time to move forward by supporting our traditional ruler to build a peaceful and prosperous Ndiowu.”

The gathering brought together traditional leaders, community leaders, clergy, political figures and Ndiowu indigenes from home and abroad, with peace, unity and collective development emerging as the dominant themes of the occasion.