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The Traditional Ruler of Nawfia community in Njikoka Local Government Area, Anambra State, Igwe Dr. Daniel Ugochukwu Obelle, has urged the traditional rulers in Igboland to unite and promote the Igbo calendar for a universal Igbo New Year celebration worldwide. The Nawfia monarch made this call while addressing the press in his palace shortly after his first Igu-Aro Festival at Nawfia kingdom last week.

The erudite monarch, who explained that the Igu-Aro Festival signifies setting an agenda for a new year, intelligently outlined the analysis of the Igbo calendar and the reasons why it should be universally embraced. He emphasized the precision in the calibration of the Igbo calendar, rating it higher than the Gregorian calendar.

He stated, 'The four Igbo days, Eke, Orie, Afo, and Nkwo, constitute an Igbo week. Seven weeks make up a month, precisely 28 days. Thirteen months of 91 weeks make up a year, as opposed to the 52 weeks of the Gregorian calendar. Our calendar is definite, avoiding the ambiguity of having 28, 29, 30, or 31 days in a month as seen in the Gregorian calendar. The certainty in our calendar is rooted in a diligent and rigorous study of the moon's movement,' noted Igwe Obelle.

He highlighted the importance of having a distinct calendar for every group, emphasizing the need for self-discovery to foster unity. 'If we start from there to rediscover ourselves, we will achieve a lot. Therefore, that is what I want ndi Igwe to discuss so that, eventually, we can celebrate one day as Indians, the way Moslems do. This will help unite us globally to celebrate one day as Igbo New Year. We possess everything needed; it's just that we tend to imitate excessively,' added the monarch.

Addressing community development, the monarch revealed that his kingdom had established a non-governmental organization to spearhead peace and conflict resolution, the revival of fading aspects of Igbo culture, poverty alleviation, education, and more in Nawfia kingdom.

Describing his first Igu-Aro Festival as highly significant for the kingdom, having not witnessed the crucial ritual for 30 years, the monarch disclosed that he utilized the occasion not only to review the past and set an agenda for the new year but also to honor no fewer than 40 illustrious sons and daughters of the Nawfia kingdom with chieftaincy titles in recognition of their contributions to the development of the kingdom.