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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
The Ibagwa Nike community in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State has honoured the Director-General of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), Dr Umar Tanko Yakasai, with a traditional chieftaincy title, in recognition of his contributions to national unity and peaceful coexistence.
Yakasai was conferred with the title of Nnanyelugo 1 of Ibagwa Nike during a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the All Saints Community, Ibagwa Nike.
The traditional ruler, Igwe Emmanuel Ugwu, said the honour was based on Yakasai’s track record, contributions to society, and commitment to humanity.
Describing him as a detribalised Nigerian, the monarch said his relationships and contributions across ethnic boundaries exemplified the kind of national integration the country needed. He said the decision to honour a prominent northerner by an Igbo community was a practical demonstration that Nigerians belonged to one another, irrespective of ethnic and religious differences.
“As I said during the occasion, what we are doing is binding the wounds of this country. When we cut the cake, I said, ‘One people, one nation.’ That is what it means to bind the wounds of our country,” he said.
In his remarks, Yakasai called for national unity, peaceful coexistence, and stronger relationships between the North and South.
He described the honour as a moment of immense personal fulfilment, saying it represented a continuation of his late father’s legacy of building friendships and bridges across ethnic and geographical boundaries.
The TSG Director-General also urged the South East to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, arguing that the administration’s economic reforms were beginning to yield positive results.
He cited moderating inflation, increased revenue allocations to states, improved gross domestic product growth, developments in the capital market, and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as evidence of progress.
The community also honoured three other prominent Nigerians. The leader of the Yoruba community in the South East and South-South, Dr Adekunle Alabi, received the title of Dikesimba 1 of Ibagwa Kingdom, while the Chief Medical Director of ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Prof Bertrand Ngwu, was conferred with Ebube Dike Eji-Ejemba.
The Enugu State Governor’s Special Assistant on Evaluation and Management, Engr Wisdom Chikezie Ogbonna, received the title of Aka Ikenga of Ibagwa Nike.
Also speaking, Alabi thanked the community for the recognition, describing it as a call to greater service.
“We are one people, North, South, East or West. So everyone in Nigeria, we need all hands on deck to move this country forward,” he said.
The Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, who accompanied Yakasai, also canvassed support for Tinubu’s re-election, saying continuity would enable the administration to consolidate its economic reforms and programmes.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman, Enugu East Local Government Area, Dr Beloved-Dan Anike, said the event celebrated the history, culture, and contributions of the Nike people to Enugu’s development.
