01/04/2026
*PRESS RELEASE AND PUBLIC RELATIONS*
*HISTORIC 10TH TAMBFEST CONCLUDES IN ABAKALIKI; ABAKALIKI DECLARATION LAUNCHED TO PROTECT RIGHTS OF MULTIPLE BIRTHS LOCALLY*
*ABAKALIKI, EBONYI STATE* — The city of Abakaliki stood still on Friday, March 27, 2026, as the *Twins and Multiple Births Care Foundation (TAMBCF)** hosted the historic 10th Edition of the Twins and Multiple Births Festival ( ). The event, which doubled as the 83rd Posthumous Birthday Symposium of the legendary *Rev. Fr. Raymond Ifeanyi Ezeonu*, marked a monumental shift from cultural celebration to international human rights advocacy.
The festival, held at St. Theresa’s Catholic Cathedral, brought together Families of twins, triplets, quadruplets and higher-order multiples, alongside Civil Society Organisations' (CSOs) leaders, government officials, Religious Leaders, Community Leaders, Town Unions Presidents and humanitarian partners.
*The Abakaliki Declaration: A New Charter for Multiples*
The highlight of the symposium was the formal signing and launch of the *Abakaliki Declaration*. Modeled after the *International Council of Multiple Birth Organisations (ICOMBO),* the Declaration serves as a "Bill of Rights" for multiple-birth families. It calls for specialized maternal healthcare, educational equity, and the establishment of a state-backed Trust Fund to alleviate the "Double Burden" of costs associated with raising multiples.
*Petition for the Patron Saint of Twins*
In a move that resonated deeply with the Faith-Based community, the Foundation officially initiated a global advocacy for the Catholic Church to recognize the late *Rev. Fr. Raymond Ifeanyi Ezeonu* as the *Patron Saint of Twins and Multiple Births*. Known as the "Salvific Warrior," Fr. Ezeonu is credited with ending the inhumane killing of twins in Ezzagu Zone, Ishielu LGA of old Anambra State in the 1970s and 1980s (decades ago).
*Global and Local Solidarity*
The event received high-level endorsements, including...