The Traditional Ruler of Umukabia Okaiuga Alike Autonomous Community, HRM, Eze Uzo Nwosu said the UNESCO prediction that Igbo language will go into extinction by 2025 will not hold water. The traditional ruler who was speaking during the iri ji festival of his community however advised parents to teach their children how to speak their mother tongue alongside other adopted languages . He further advised that Igbo language should be included in the school curriculum while advising authors of Igbo origin to write novels and textbooks in Igbo language, “government should also encourage Igbo language by awarding scholarship to students to study Igbo language”. Eze Nwosu noted with dismay the increasing rate of youths involvement in illicit drugs and other social vices, attributing it to unemployment, greed and peer group influences, and advised the youths not to depend on white collar jobs but to learn skills to make a living. The Traditional Ruler stated that the iri ji yam ceremony in Igbo land has served as repository of all the ancient relics, culture and symbol around which the pristine glory and fame of Igbo land and Umukabia in particularly and Igbo culture revolved in the middle of the 19th Century. While declaring open the new yam festival the traditional ruler noted that Umukabia have been known from the ancient to announce annual yam festival in ohuhu” the new yam festival is an important festival celebrated yearly by the people all over Igbo land it is period we thank god for bumper harvest particularly with “ji”, the chief crop of our people from the olden days . Eze Nwosu further stated that this year festival is particularly unique for the singular reason that the celebration of iri ji is an occasion used to appreciate and reward their illustrous sons and daughters who have contributed to the development of the community. He expressed gratitude to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and his Deputy , sir Ude Oko Chukwu and other guests for their support towards the successful hosting of the ceremony. Also speaking , the chairman on the occasion, former TC chairman, Umuahia North Local Government Area, Chief Okezie Ezeigbo congratulated the Eze for upholding the culture inherited from their forefathers, while advising the awardees to continue to contribute to the development of the community . One of the awardees, who spoke to our reporter, chief chukwudi Agwu said that he has empowered many widows and awarded scholarship to many he doesn’t know and promise to do more to uplift humanity regardless of where they come from through his Nmesoma Foundation. Highlight of the occasion was the conferment of chieftaincy titles on deserving sons of the community and declaration of iri ji yam ceremony in ohuhu land open
