– Monarch Announces, Demands Free Cost Loans From Govt, Says It Will Boost Farmers’ Morale, Makes Farming Attractive
By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu
The traditional ruler of the Omor community in Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Dr. Chris Oranu Chidume (Eze Ana ukwu, Eze Igwulube) has called on government at all levels to offer free cost loans to farmers, especially to the young ones, emphatically said that doing so would make farming attractive and lucrative, adding that it would help in no small measures in curbing youth restiveness, crime and criminality in the country.
The widely travelled Monarch who made the call at his Palace at Omor while speaking to select journalists on the preparation of this year’s New Yam Festival Celebration billed to hold on Saturday, 23rd August 2025, stated that they were grateful to the God for giving them a bountiful harvest, saying that they have every reason to celebrate, wine and dine, acknowledging that some years had not been so good in terms of the end product.
‘The rain didn’t disturb much. It helps the farmers to cultivate and nurture their yam crops and other things, unlike other years when we witnessed heavy rainfall. Omor is one of the biggest communities in Anambra, both in population and land mass, we are known for farming, especially yam and rice. Before now, we are generally known for our skills in yam productions. We have lands, and we even go to our neighbouring communities to cultivate. We are not lacking human resources. All we are asking the government at all levels to do is to invest heavily in Omor.
‘We good access road in Omor, vehicle conveying crops are always breaking down on the roads as a result of poor condition of our roads. We are suffering untold hardship evacuating our farm produce. We need free cost loans to enable the farmers to stay in their farming business. Farmers need the required attention to blossom. See, the road from Otuocha to Omor is in a very bad shape. It seriously needs urgent attention.
The traditional ruler urged the government to study and apply the template used by the Chrysoral Groups, where they offer free cost loans to individual farmers and groups, emphasizing that the loans had helped so many young farmers and the older ones to stay in business, adding that this year’s festival would be grand and there would be watertight security in and around Omor on Saturday, 23rd August 2025.
‘Government at all levels should adopt Chrysoral Groups format. It will make the youths return to farming. On the issue of security, all security chiefs will be here to ensure the security of life and property during, before, and after the celebration. Our community is most peaceful. We are working seriously to address all pending skirmishes. The leadership of the town is working round the clock to restore law and order.
The royal father announced that as part of his 10th year anniversary celebration, there have been plans to construct 20,000 capacity stadium where the celebration of iwaji (new yam festival), ofala festival and other key events of the community would be celebrated, saying that contractors would be soon be mobilized to site.
In their separate speeches, the planning committee chairman, Engr. Chief Godwin Mgbechi stated there would be enough to eat and drink on that day, including continental dishes and many different delicacies to specially prepared for the tourists, foreigners who would be gracing the ocassion, assuring that preparations are in top gear to give the attendees a mouth-watering and memorable celebration.
Some of the Omor chiefs who spoke during the media chat include Chief Udemezue Obiekezie; Chief Dominic Machi (Nwakaibie), Chief Peter Chuba Emeka (Ikenga) and Chief Cletus Nwalieji Obiora noted the event would kick-start with morning masquerade that would visit the traditional ruler’s house as a way of announcing the commencement of the day’s celebration, adding that later in the day the Monarch would appear in his full paraphernalia of office and dance to the ancestral Ikolo wooden gong (ekwe) beat thereafter proceed to the table where he would cut and eats new the new yam with well garnished sauce in the presence of his subjects, friends, tourists, culture loving people ,and well-wishers.
