Ohafia to get electricity within one week — Abia Deputy Gov

…Unveils yam production initiative, promises mechanised farming By Steve Oko UMUAHIA — Abia State Deputy Governor, Ikechukwu Emetu, has assured residents of Ohafia that electricity supply will be restored to the area within one week, ending the prolonged blackout in the ancient kingdom. Emetu gave the assurance at the weekend during the 2026 New Yam Festival (Iri Ji Ohamoha Ohafia), held at the Central School Playground, Elu Ohafia.

He said the state government was committed to resolving the electricity crisis and restoring regular power supply to the area. The deputy governor also announced plans to introduce an agricultural support initiative aimed at making communities in Ohafia self-sufficient in yam production. He expressed concern that despite the area’s agricultural potential, communities still depended on yams purchased from other locations for their annual New Yam Festival.

He said the government would collaborate with Labour Party members to support communities in cultivating yams ahead of subsequent celebrations. According to him, each community’s traditional Ndi Eze Ji would receive support, while a committee would be established to supervise the programme and monitor cultivation. Emetu disclosed that the government would undertake land delineation, provide tractors for mechanised farming and distribute yam seedlings to farmers.

He added that communities that distinguished themselves in yam production before the 2027 festival would receive awards as part of efforts to encourage agricultural development and position Ohafia as a major yam-producing centre in Abia State. Conveying Governor Alex Otti’s message to the people, Emetu assured them of the administration’s commitment to the development of the area.

He, however, cautioned that the festival was a cultural celebration and not a political campaign, noting that the 2023 governorship campaign ended with the inauguration of the present administration on May 29, 2023. He thanked the people for their continued support for the government and urged them to sustain unity and political solidarity. In his remarks, the Udumeze of Ohafia Ancient Kingdom and Chairman of the Ohafia Council of Monarchs, Elder Ezie Awa Oji Udonsi, thanked God for the year’s harvest and commended farmers for their contributions to food production.

The monarch said agricultural produce from the communities was attracting appreciable market value, while roads leading to various communities had become more motorable. He also expressed satisfaction with the prevailing peace in Ohafia and urged residents to sustain unity, love and cooperation for the development of the ancient kingdom. Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Sunny Mbila, described the festival as an important cultural institution for promoting unity, preserving the people’s heritage and offering thanksgiving for a successful harvest.

The Chairman of the organising committee, Ezieogo Mecha Ugbu Mecha, said the annual celebration marked the conclusion of New Yam festivities across the communities that make up Ohafia Ancient Kingdom. The festival featured masquerade displays, traditional dances, indigenous cuisines and the sharing of roasted new yam, known as Iwa Ji, as symbols of thanksgiving and appreciation for a bountiful harvest.