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A first class monarch in the South East region and Obi of Onitsha, His Majesty, Igwe Alfred Achebe, has called on governors from the zone to emulate the exemplary leadership style of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State.
The revered traditional ruler made this call while delivering a keynote address at the Gala and Award Night of the 2024 Edition of the Life in My City Art Festival (LIMCAF) held in Enugu.
Igwe Acbebe, who extolled Governor Mbah’s open commitment and support for tourism and creative arts, insisted that Enugu remains the cultural centre for the South East.
“The governor is very, very exemplary. We’ve had governors and governors in Enugu State and the South East zone, and in Nigeria, I don’t see any other governor that has been so openly and easily committed to understanding the creative arts, and therefore committing to supporting it.
“Enugu remains the cultural centre for the South East.
“So I applaud the governor, Mr. Peter Mbah, for his commitment. Thanks to the governor, and I hope that his fellow governors would emulate his example and get to learn about creativity and therefore get to appreciate and support it,” he added.
In his remark, the governor lauded this year’s edition of the festival as thought-provoking, unique and incredible representation of the state’s creativity and shared values.
“This event is a celebration of our shared values, a showcase of our creativity, and a profound reminder of our collective humanity, which fittingly serves as this year’s theme,” the governor said.
Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Dame Ugochi Madueke, reiterated continuous support and investment in the creative industry for the promotion of indigenous culture as well as a source of opportunity for young people to explore, express and excel in their chosen professions.
While underscoring the need for collaboration to support local artists, recognize their voices and honour their contributions in the society, the governor stressed the importance and unique roles art plays in connecting the people with their history, spiritual heritage and fostering unity in diversity.
He commended the youths who attended and exhibited their works across Nigeria for showcasing their resilience, thoughts, dreams, empathy, and challenges through art, saying the festival had become a mirror of reflection of the human spirit and its richness and complexity.
Earlier, young artists drawn from across the country had displayed over a thousand art works at the exhibition gallery, which included immersive, multisensory and interactive art works.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of a cheque of one million naira to Mr. Paul Chibuikem Emenike who emerged overall winner of the LIMCAF 2024 exhibition, with many others going home with mouthwatering prizes.