Abia State Governor Alex Otti has urged Ohanaeze Ndigbo to take proactive steps in promoting and preserving Igbo culture.
Otti issued this call when the leadership of the Abia State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Umuahia, emphasising the importance of promoting the Igbo language in schools across the state.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Caleb Ajagba, Otti noted that his administration had made the Igbo language a compulsory subject in both basic and secondary schools.
The governor warned that a community without a firm grasp of its cultural identity risks extinction. He lamented that many Igbo youths have strayed from the core values of hard work and integrity, instead indulging in fraudulent activities in pursuit of quick wealth.
He stressed the need for a well-defined roadmap to guide the organisation’s objectives and encouraged Ohanaeze to establish strong youth wings in schools to foster cultural awareness and leadership development among young Igbos.
He also urged the organisation to bridge the gap between the older and younger generations, ensuring that Igbo heritage remains a guiding principle for the future.
Earlier in his address, the President of the Abia State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chukwuemeka Okwuonu, commended Governor Otti for his achievements in Abia State and appreciated the governor’s decision to make the Igbo language compulsory in schools, stating that it aligns with Ohanaeze’s mission to promote Igbo culture and heritage.
