Viola Onwuliri, a former Foreign Affairs minister; Frank Nneji, ABC Transport boss; and Tobs Agbaegbu, the publisher of Verbatim Magazine, will be among the prominent  sons and daughters of Nguru, a tickly populated town in Aboh Mbaise Local Government area of Imo State, who will be honoured with awards at the 2018 edition of  Iriji (new yam )Mbaise cultural festival  in Abuja, which will also serve as a platform for fund raising, on Saturday, October 20.

Others who will be honoured at the occasion being put together to hold at the H and C Event Centre in Area 1, by the Abuja chapter of  Nguru Development Union, NDU,a socio-cultural group, include Patrick Ekeji, a former director-general, National Sports Commission;  John Chukwu, former permanent secretary, in the Federal Capital Territory; Chijioke Ekechukwu, a renowned banker and  John Kennedy Opara, a former executive secretary, Christian Pilgrims Welfare Commission.

The NDU explained in statement issued on Monday, October 15, and jointly signed by Charles Ike, the NDU Abuja president and Theophilus Emeruwa, chairman of the NDU Abuja 2018 Iriji Committee, that the award recipients were singled out for honour, in appreciation of their individual contribution to the development of Nguru Mbaise and for services they rendered to humanity at large.

The NDU also explained that the Nguru – Mbaise new yam festival is an annual event and component of the larger Mbaise programme, which provides platform for the people to showcase their culture and promote love for farming as an occupation of majority in the area.

The ceremony which will be chaired by Ekeji, with minister of FCT and Fabian Osuji, a former minister of Education as special guests of honour, will also feature live performances by the popular Abigbo Mbaise Cultural group as well as by  other women cultural groups.

– Oct. 16, 2018 @ 18:17 GMT |