Legal luminary and leader of the Ukwa-Ngwa nation, Chief Theo Nkire, has called on Ngwa sons and daughters at home and in the diaspora to participate actively in the 2026 edition of Ngwa Day.
The annual celebration is scheduled to take place on December 28 at Ngwa High School, Aba, under the theme, “Ngwaness – Umunnabuike.”
Nkire made the call when he spoke with the Ngwa Day Media Committee at his residence in Aba after hosting the planning committee, led by Dr Brightman Onyenbi, for the second time to deliberate on preparations for the event.
He said his priority was to ensure that this year’s celebration was a major success.
“My expectation and desire is to ensure a very successful outing in this year’s celebration,” Nkire said.
The elder statesman, who is regarded as a repository of Ngwa history, recalled that the people of Ngwa had been celebrating Ngwa Day for decades.
Nkire disclosed that he attended his first Ngwa Day celebration at Okpuala Ngwa in 1954, when he was 11 years old and a Standard Three pupil of St Cyprian’s School, Umuojima.
According to him, the event was organised by the Ngwa Clan Union and led by prominent figures, including Chief J. N. Wachuku and Chief J. W. Ubani.
He noted that more than seven decades later, the objective of the renewed Ngwa Day celebration remains largely the same — to promote and showcase Ngwa culture, history and heritage.
The current edition of Ngwa Day was revived in 2024 and is being championed by the Ngwa Social Club.
Nkire also clarified that holding the celebration in Aba does not diminish the historical importance of Okpuala Ngwa as the ancestral home of the Ngwa people.
He explained that the present arrangement recognises the ancestral roots of Ngwaland, noting that the first day of the celebration begins at Okpuala Ngwa in honour of the ancestors.
On whether Ngwa Day could be separated from politics, the former Attorney General of Abia State said it would be difficult because, in his words, “man is a political animal.”
He, however, stressed that the celebration was open to all Ngwa sons and daughters regardless of their political affiliations.
“But all our sons and daughters are welcome whether they are in politics or not. Our people belong to different political parties and we respect their choice and we expect each one to respect the other’s right to choose,” he said.
Nkire urged the Ngwa community to put aside political differences and embrace unity as they prepare for the 2026 celebration, which he said should serve as an avenue to strengthen the people’s shared identity, culture and heritage.
