Posted by From NWABUEZE OKONKWO, Onitsha on
Industrious sons and daughters of Umuoji community in Idemili North council area of Anambra State were on March 9, this year, thrown into frenzy as they gathered at the Umuoji Cultural Centre to celebrate their annual "Uzo Iyi" masquerade cultural festival.
Industrious sons and daughters of Umuoji community in Idemili North council area of Anambra State were on March 9, this year, thrown into frenzy as they gathered at the Umuoji Cultural Centre to celebrate their annual "Uzo Iyi" masquerade cultural festival.
The celebrators, comprising indigenes and non-indigenes living at home and in the Diaspora were in high spirits as they danced their hearts out when different masqueraders filed out one after another at the dancing arena.
Dated back to about 15th century (about 400 years ago), according to elders of the community, the age-long annual "Uzo Iyi" festival which is an exclusive cultural heritage of the community, has never missed any year without its celebration.
The community has rather continued to redesign, modernize and celebrate the festival with greater zeal, interest and assimilation, to the extent that they even attracted the presence of the cream of the society.
Even Governor Peter Obi, who attended last year's ceremony, was so impressed about the entire arrangements that he intended to participate in this year's. But because of his tight schedule, he delegated the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Professor Mrs. Stella Chinyere Okunna, to stand in for him.
The event which also attracted the traditional ruler of Obosi community, Igwe Josiah Nwakoby, his Abacha counterpart, Igwe G. B. C. Mbakwe, among others, was spearheaded by the chief host and traditional ruler of Umuoji, Igwe (Dr.) Cyril Nwabunwanne Enweze and the president-general of Umuoji Improvement Union (UIU), Chief Obi Onwuachu (Nwachinemelu).
The annual ceremony, according to the custodians of tradition and culture in the area, is an occasion used to herald a new farming/planting season for all indigenes of the community, as well as appease their ancestors for guiding them through the previous years and also to ask for more guidance.
In his welcome address shortly before the masqueraders began to file out one after the other, Igwe Enweze, who is a diplomat and the immediate past vice-president of International Funds for Agricultural Development (IFAD), confirmed that the festival is an annual reminder to all and sundry that the annual farming season is around the corner.
According to Igwe Enweze, "agriculture has historically been and remains today and for the near future the main stay of our local economy, and as such, this festival reminds us that this is the time when farmers compare notes about the last farming season.
"In fact, this is also the best time we discuss the lessons we learnt from the previous farming seasons, share our thoughts and then plan for the planting season which is about to commence. We also use this festival as a veritable period to showcase our rich and enduring cultural heritage reflected in the endless stream of masquerades and dance troupes".
The royal father commended Governor Obi for his quality leadership so far and urged him to look into their dilapidated roads which he said are yearning for attention.
In their separate remarks, the President-General of UIU, Chief Onwuachu; one of his predecessors, Chief Festus Onyima (Ikemba Umuoji) and the Chairman of the organizing committee, Chief Tochukwu Mmodu, said the benefits of the annual festival are so numerous that the community cannot afford to miss it for any reason.
Onwuachu, Onyima and Mmodu who recalled that the festival was originated by their fore-fathers when there was no single white collar job, except farming, to inform the people of the approaching farming season, said that as they celebrate this "Uzo Iyi" to herald the beginning of farming season, they also have "Igbanta" mini festival which informs them of the end of each farming season.
They, therefore, urged the youths to uphold the culture for life and to avoid bringing any fetish substances into the festival, but to leave it as natural as it is, saying "we don't even encourage any thing like Juju in the system".
The traditional ruler of Abacha, Igwe Mbakwe, praised the community for upholding their cultural heritage and urged other communities to emulate Umuoji, adding that on their own part, Abacha community also celebrate "Iwaji" and "Iliede" festivals.
Governor Obi commended the community for preserving their age-long cultural heritage and for supporting the state government policies and programmes, assuring them that he would continue to identify with them in all its ramifications.
Obi disclosed that it was the masqueraders from Umuoji that helped the state to win the first position during the 2006 national cultural carnival in Abuja tagged: Abuja Carnival and then won second position in 2007 Abuja carnival.
He said that some of their masqueraders would be selected for this year's Abuja carnival later in the year.
About 26 masqueraders from the 26 villages of Umuoji participated in the festival. Some of the masqueraders included the Aguiyi masquerader of Umuoma village, Anyinya masquerade of Umuazu village, Zebra masquerader of Dimboko village, Ene masquerader of Urueze village, kenekwu masquerader of Ireabosi village, Atu masquerader, Akwunechenyi masquerader, Ijele masquerader, Ezemuo masqurader, among others.