The atmosphere at Ihioma Ancient Kingdom of Orlu Local Government Area of the state, was very electrifying, as many indigenes both at home and in Diaspora, friends and well wishers joyfully converged at the compound of their revered traditional ruler, HRH Eze Dr. Stephen Okeke, the Durukoma 1X, Obi of Ihioma, to participate in his celebration of 2024 new yam festival.
The human assemblage which comprised the religious class, professionals, the academia, the business class and the youths came to celebrate with their Eze and as well promote their Iriji cultural festival to the admiration of all.
Presenting his brief address during the event, Eze Okeke thanked God for keeping them alive to witness this year’s new yam festival, adding that the preparation for the celebration of his new yam festival and that of his community had finally taken place peacefully in Ihioma Ancient Kingdom, as permitted by God.
He expressed delight at the various contributions made by some groups like Ihioma Indigenes in South Africa, the Ihioma Diamond Age Association, the Iheoma Ancient Kingdom Traditional Chiefs, the Ihioma Traditional Council of Chiefs and other relevant bodies towards the success of the event.
In his discussion with some newsmen at the end of the event, Eze Stephen Okeke described their Iriji as very unique and could be more admirable to his people than the Christmas celebration, stressing that the event had always created opportunity for different cultural dancing groups and masquerades to perform and entertain the guests.
Eze Okeke described his community, Ihioma, as very known in the state for using their Iriji cultural activity to unify, ensure peace and development amongst the people.
He used the same interaction with the media to commend the unparalleled humanitarian gesture rendered by the Ihioma Diamond Age Association (IDAA) and Ihioma Ancient Kingdom Traditional Chiefs (IAkTRAC) in his just concluded Iriji cultural festival cum his community, which according to him, involved the empowerment of 15 selected academically sound students from various secondary schools in Ihioma, with a cash reward of #30, 000 each by the former,IDAA, and the donation of 25 cartons of different brands of Indomie by the later, IAKTRAC, to 25 indigent persons from different villages that make up Ihioma Ancient Kingdom. He identified those groups in Ihioma as being passionate about the alleviation of hunger in his dormain through various service provision, adding that other groups also helped in other ways to reduce the economic pains and plight of some of his subjects.
The Obi of Ihioma described the traditional stool of his family as being older than the country, Nigeria, stressing that his position could be confirmed by his present occupancy of the throne as the 9th Durukoma traditional ruler of Ihioma.
The first citizen of Ihioma Community also identified his people as predominantly farmers, reiterating that with the conclusion of this year’s new yam festival, all his subjects would now be free to harvest their yam and other crops from their farms and as well prepare to get into farming in the coming year, with the anticipation of harvesting bountifully.
He opined that without the celebration of new yam festival in Ihioma, no indigene would be allowed to access his or farm with a view to carrying out any harvesting of crops.
Obi of Ihioma conclusively thanked many traditional rulers, the chiefs and some Reverend Fathers and Sisters who honoured his celebration of new yam festival in his compound.
Adding his voice to the interaction, the President-General of Ihioma Ancient Kingdom, Chief Chukwuemeka Emmanuel Okeke, expressed delight in the celebration of Iriji of his traditional ruler and his community, asserting that it was usually held in every last Saturday of August annually. He unveiled that this year’s Iriji cultural festival was very successful irrespective of the current economic hardship and security challenges facing the zone, maintaining that such an event would have been more electrifying outside those disturbing challenges.
He pointed out that with the commencement of the new yam celebration by their traditional ruler, the subjects should now follow the trend, reaffirming the manifestation of peace in Ihioma Community through the exercise.
