Activities marking the one hundred and twenty third Ovala Aguleri and the 2023 Ovala of the traditional ruler of Aguleri, Igwe Michael Idigo has commenced with Okanga Aguleri lecture and symposium.
The Okanga Aguleri lecture which is the fourth in its series, took place at Okpala Hall, Ivite Aguleri, Anambra East Council Area.
The event attracted communities of Omabala extraction and beyond.
Addressing the gathering, Igwe Idigo thanked God for keeping them alive to see the new year in good health, to witness another Ovala of the community and noted that Aguleri is fast becoming an urban city with a lot of businesses springing up everywhere, appreciating his subjects for bringing their wealth home and by so doing, boosting job creation and socio-economic activities of the area.
According to Igwe Idigo, activities for the Ovala commenced with Christmas celebration for the children, and will end on Sunday, being 8th of January with activities like igba Ada, Chieftaincy title giving, the Ovala proper, Ovala thanksgiving and then masquerading.
In a lecture titled “oil and gas exploitation in Omabala region: the prospects and challenges to the socio- economic activities of Ndi Omabala”, a guest speaker Engineer Iyke Akuezumba, who is the Deputy Managing Director, Orient Petroleum Resources, traced the history of oil and gas production in Nigeria, its challenges and gains, and said that Orient was given two blocks by the Nigeria government to manage, noting that they have no plans of exporting crude oil from the two blocks but want to produce the oil and utilize them in this area, to avoid waste and loss.
Engineer Akuezumba said that Orient will lay pipelines from the oil rig Aguleri-Otu to the refinery at Nsugbe/Umueri, but cautioned against vandalisation of the pipe lines to avoid future repercussions on the environment and farmlands.
The chairman Planning Committee Ovala celebration, Mr. Tony Oli, who is the former chairman Anambra State Sports Commission and the Director Media and Publicity of the Committee Mr. Amechi Akora, the immediate past Managing Director, Anambra state Waste Management Agency, explained that Ovala Aguleri is a time where they x-ray the activities of the town for the past one year, give corrections and encouragement where necessary, adding that they are proud that about seventy five hospitality industries are in Aguleri presently, owned by Ndi Aguleri, hoping for more development in the town.
Other speakers at the event were Mr. Emma Odikpo, a retired staff of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and a son of Omabala extraction, Professor Ekwenze and Chief Ralph Okeke.
Igwe Idigo used the occasion to give award to distinguished individuals and groups from the community for their efforts in their community development.
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