Nwogha Ndubuisi, Abakaliki
As Izhi clan celebrated her new yam festival, yesterday prominent sons and daughters of the area have continued to pour their heart to God for giving them another opportunity to celebrate new yam festival popularly called ojiji Izhi, as well as, their bumper harvest of yam recorded across Izhi land.While also lauded the state governor, David Umahi, a visionary leader who has impacted positively to many lives since his inception of office, admonishing the entire Izhi people to always embrace peace and unity among members and others.Lending his voice, the National president of Izzi Nnodo Youth Forum, who also doubles as the Special Assistant to Ebonyi state governor on Internal Security Ebonyi North Zone, Comrade Ben Nwovu, while interacting with newsmen at the traditional prime minister’s palace Amegu community in Abakaliki Local Government Area, thanked God for making it possible for him and his family members to witness another new yam festival despite all the challenges that have been facing the state and the country at large especially the global covid-19 pandemic.Comrade Nwovu who sees yam as the king of all crops said that, ojiji new yam festival is one of the oldest cultural heritage of the people of Izhi which is being celebrated every year, the festival was coming a beat late due to the absence of the new moon occasioned by leap year.He hinted that the celebration of new yam festival by Izhi people usually brings hope, and enjoined them to embrace their cultural heritage saying that any nation without culture is like a nation without history.He added that the period of the new yam festival is the time for sober reflection but not a season to engage in a verbal abuse, fight and any other social vices, and urged the Izhi clan to see it as the period of making peace, unity and reconciliation.
On his part, the Traditional Prime Minister of Izhi clan, Elder Mbam Ngele, called on the entire clan people to continue to love one another to attract development to the clan. Elder Ngele prayed for God’s protection among sons and daughters of Izhi nation as they celebrate this year new yam festival.While narrating the significance of the day celebration, revealed that the new yam celebration is so important that in their tradition that any person who dug yam in his or her farm before the official declaration by the custodian would pay a life cow and other items without hesitating to serve as deterrent to others as that amount to bridge of their cultural belief.Others who spoke includes the pioneer president of Izzi Nnodo Youth Forum, Elder Mike Nwambam, a member of Ishiuke, Elder Nwibo Nwali and the president of Okpuitumo development Union, Comrade Alfred Agbo expressed optimism that the celebration of ojiji new yam festival would bring good fortune to the people of Izhi and called for unity and love among members.They, however, noted that ojiji new yam festival is an annual event which usually comes up between August and September every year and Izhi people cannot eat new yam until celebration is done by elders of the clan known as Ishiuke.It was gathered that the festival was done in a peaceful atmosphere in the three Local Government Areas of Izhi Nation among Izzi, Ebonyi and Abakaliki as our reporter observed friends and well wishers exchanging gift items, drinking and eating at different points.
