New yam festival, in Igbo land, is one of the oldest traditional and cultural festivities that portrays and promotes the Igbo identity in grand styles.
As one of the biggest Igbo cultural festivities marked annually, the festival often comes in stages, beginning with its celebration at community level by traditional rulers of various towns, after which villages, clans, families, groups and individuals who wish to, can then organize their own celebrations, all in the spirit of promoting the Igbo cultural heritage and thanking God for a successful farming season especially for the yam, considered as King of all crops by Ndi Igbo
It is in view of this that Chief Toochukwu Ofodeme of the Obi Okponwa Palace, Okpuno-egbu Nnewi, in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, returned all the way from the United Kingdom, his base, to celebrate the 2024 new yam festival in his hometown.
Chief Ofodeme, a successful business mogul marked his own new yam festival on Sunday, September 1, following the conclusion of the general celebration and Afịa Ọlụ by Nnewi town headed by H.R.M. Igwe Kenneth Orizu as the Traditional Ruler.
Monitored by the Ekwe Anaedo, the well-attended new yam festival, which held in grand style at the Obi Okponwa Palace in Okpuno-egbu, drew participants from all works of life, and also featured the official launching of a special dance and music group, Ịgba Udo Okpuno-egbu, among other highlights, all facilitated by the celebrant.
After the symbolic cutting of the yam by the celebrant, the new yam festival kicked off in earnest, as other cultural displays, including women groups and Ịgba Udo Okpuno-egbu, took the centre stage to thrill and entertain the participants with their performances.
These were accompanied by merriments, during which roasted yam, well-garnished local yam sauce and other local delicacies were served, followed by paying of homage to the celebrant, by different groups and individuals.
Speaking with newsmen at the event, the celebrant, Chief Ofodeme who described new yam festival as a great cultural event in Igbo land, appreciated God for gift of life and His protection, as well as successful planting season and bountiful harvest for the year.
When asked his views about the notions held by some people who see new yam festival as fetish and idolatry, Ofodeme dispelled such notions as not only erroneous, but also shameful, especially coming from Ndị Igbo who should be proud and advocates of their own cultural values and heritage.
According to him, there is nothing fetish, diabolical, or idolatry about new yam festival. He also emphasized that the festival highlights the value Igbo people place on showing gratitude, gratefulness and heart of thanksgiving, as the event primarily thanks God for granting farmers bountiful harvest.
While lamenting the extent of the disconnect between many Igbo youths today and their roots, Ofodeme, who revealed that all his children bear Igbo names and speak Igbo language fluently despite living in the UK, further called on Igbo people, especially those in diaspora to always identify with their roots and to promote their culture at all costs, without allowing themselves to be dissuaded or deceived that the culture is idolatry. He further reassured to continue upholding the Igbo cultural heritage and sustaining his cherished contribution to community development.
In a goodwill message to the celebrant and the entire Okpuno-egbu community, the Chairman of Okpuno-egbu Community Development Association, Chief Cletus Chukwudi Ubah (Abuja Nnewi) explained that new yam festival started from the olden days as the Igbo people’s progenitors choice to thank God for a successful farming season, stressing that culture even predates Christianity. He joined voice to call on Ndị Igbo to cherish and uphold their cultural values and heritage, to avoid extinction.
The village Chairman also commended the celebrant for coming home to celebrate new yam festival annually with his people, and further hailed him for his sustained commitment and contributions to community development, urging him not to relent or be discourage in any way.
On his own part, the Leader of the newly unveiled Igba Udo Okpuno-egbu, Mr. Ebenezer Agulonu, said the creation of the new musical group was motivated by the desire to entrench a lasting peace in the village, adding that the group will sustain its advocacy of peace through its renditions and performances.
He also felicitated with the celebrant and also commended his humanitarian gestures, philanthropy, and impacts on the lives of the people, while further charging him to sustain his good deeds.
In their separate remarks, some of the participants at the event, Mrs. Bridget Chukwuekwe, and Mrs. Mummy Love Ubah, who are also the leaders of association of women married from Okpuno-egbu and the association of women married to Okpuno-egbu respectively, attested that the celebrant had countlessly put smiles on the faces of the people of the community, especially them.
They also heaped a plethora of accolades on Chief Ofodeme and his co-facilitators, and also urged others to emulate such great deeds, emphasizing that a combination of efforts of like minds help to quickly propel the developmental wheel of any society.
The symbolic cutting of roasted new yam by the celebrant, paying of tributes by individuals and participating groups, and scintillating performances by the newly inaugurated Ịgba Udo Okpuno-egbu, among others, formed the high points.
