Firstly, I appreciate everyone who has put in their effort, time, and money to maintain Awka's cultural heritage and pride. 

However, the recent development concerning the Egwu Imoka is an eyesore to any reasonable Awka citizen. This is because there are assigned duties to different sections that make up Awka as a community, a state capital, and a kingdom at large. Amikwo remains the "obodo n'agwu aro", Amachalla remains the "obodo n'apa ishi Imoka".

 I'm not into playing partisanship over which Eze Uzu should fix the date of the festival; I don't really care or stand with any of them as it is never in their place or their prerogative to fix the date. I'm also not against the Anambra State Government and the ruling party (APGA) holding their party primaries on the same date (23rd May, 2026) as the previously fixed date of the Egwu Imoka festival. It's one of the burdens Awka bears for being the capital, even though the festival does not directly affect the APGA primary elections. The centre of the festival can easily be avoided, bypassed, or passed through.

 Now, my major concern is that this new date, as written on this document released from the office of the EZE UZU II (Gibson Nwosu), does not take into consideration the fact that 27th May is also Children's Day. If we have neutralized the significance of the "Mmonwu n'agwu aro" (assigned to Amikwo village in Awka) or the deliberations of the stakeholders in that festival to fix a date that may be potentially harmful or unsafe to children, then I suggest the Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Police alongside other major stakeholders should shift the date further... anything but the 27th of May.

We can't have children running around in the mix-up. Egwu Imoka can be celebrated on any other day as long as it is NKWO MARKET DAY by the Igbo calendar.

Awka Kachaa nu!!

Awka Bulu nu!!

#Italo