‘Anambra Communities Now Have Professors As Presidents-General’ 

Raymond Ozoji, Awka

Pioneer presidents of the Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU) have unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the administration of the incumbent national president Chief Barr. Titus Nnabuike Akpudo, saying they are delighted with the progress of the association under his watch.

The founding fathers also jointly endorsed ASATU’s maiden community cultural festival scheduled to hold 18th December, 2021 describing the innovation as a welcome development as they believe very strongly that culture is an identity and should be protected from extinction.

Speaking shortly after an in-camera session with the national president at the ASATU secretariat complex government house Awka, Chief Dr. Innocent Ikegbunam Onwubuya, who was the third national president of ASATU, said past presidents were happy with the present leadership of the association.

Onwubuya whose chieftancy title is Ichie Okosis Na Abagana said it was a step taken in the right direction to seek wise counsel from elders of ASATU and that they were also impressed with the cordial relationship that exists between ASATU and the government in power in Anambra state.

Onwubuya who described the first ever ASATU community cultural festival as very fantastic, noted that it was a community-oriented programme and that the customs and traditions of the people of Anambra state would be presented to the rest of the world.

Second national president who also doubles currently as the Chairman Board of Trustees of ASATU, Ichie Damian Okeke Ogene, observed that there had been tremendous improvements in the successive national presidents of the association judging from the achievements of the incumbent within one year in office.

Ogene who is also the national vice president of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide stated that elders of ASATU passed a vote of confidence on Chief Barr. Titus Nnabuike Akpudo and also urged him to ensure that the aims and objectives of setting up ASATU were kept alive.

Ogene who thanked Governor Willie Obiano for giving stipends to Presidents-General, said such gestures were a confirmation of his recognition of ASATU as the 4th tier of government in the state.

The Ohaneze Ndigbo national vice president also took cognisance of the massive improvements in ASATU as most communities now have professors as presidents-general. He said gone were the days when every Dick and Harry is made PG of a community, adding that the current PGs in ASATU were no longer pushovers.

Ogene therefore commended the new national president of ASATU Chief Barr. Titus Nnabuike Akpudo, whom he said was less than one year in office but was able to organise the very first edition of community cultural festival on the platform of ASATU, adding that such was a lofty and laudable idea contrary to using the association as a tool for seeking donations and fund raisings.

He said the ASATU community cultural festival is a veritable platform to bring Igbo together to showcase our culture, tradition as well as everything good about Ndigbo.