– As National President General, Ukaga, Orji PG, Oguike, Anozie, X-ray Event’s, Significance
The 2025 Onwa Oru cultural festival, an annual celebration that binds, and enhances the unity, love and mutual co-existence among the six communities that constitute the Uratta Nation will come up on Tuesday, February, 11, at Orie Uratta in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State.
Onye Ishi Ala Uratta, Oha Peter Emeribe, reaffirmed this during a meeting he had with Ndi Eze Uratta, Ndi Oha Uratta and other stakeholders in his residence recently.
Sequel to numerous questions by indigenes, residents, friends and well wishers who, out of curiosity expressed the desire to know more about the background, origin, spiritual and socio-cultural significance of the festival, the National President General of Uratta community comprising all the component communities, Engr (Chief) Stanley Ukaga (Dike Eji Ejemba) the President General of Orji autonomous community, Hon Leo Oguike and Oke Nze Alex Anozie, in separate interviews said, “Onwaoru-Uratta is essentially a thanksgiving ceremony, made to the gods of the land (Ala). Ala is the highest deity in Igboland. Uratta people have a covenant with the Ala deity, which ensures that we have bumper harvests on the condition that we do not eat the ọna yam (three leaves yam), which is a taboo in Uratta land.
The goddess of yam ( Ahiajoku-ji) is the centre point of Onwaoru festivities. The season of Onwaoru is a period of thanksgiving, the exhibition of love to appreciate the goddess for bumper harvests and the gift of life. It is also used to offer supplications for a safe and hitch-free farming season with attendant more bumper harvests, long life and good health”.
“The announcement of the date for Onwaoru Uratta marks the beginning of a new planting season and abstinence from rancour, acrimony, quarrelling, fighting, and mourning. The season is a harbinger for reconciliation. During this period, peace and tranquility reign in all constituent communities of Uratta land, as funerals are also forbidden.
Once the date (usually on Orie -Ukwu day) is fixed by Onyeishi-ala Uratta, Nde-Oha Uratta will go to all traditional rulers to inform them and collect ego ishi-opi.
On the day of Onwaoru festival, every constituent community is expected to fire cannon shots ( egbe ishi-ala) to announce the big event. Communities in Uratta (Uratta ofo asatọ mbam-iri) will come to Ime-Orie Uratta market square, adorned in their best cultural attires befitting the occasion. For men, no trousers or knickers, but the traditional george wrapper and white top preferably. Communities are seated with their Oha na Eze in their different canopies. They also come with their traditional\cultural dances and masquerades. Wrestling competitions are also held between communities, and the winners take home prizes, depending on the programme of the organisers. At the end of the ceremony at Ime-Orie Uratta, families go home to entertain their in-laws, families, friends, associates and other guests.
Mgbọtọ Biri-ukwu-obu
The Obu-ozuzu tree at Ime-Orie Uratta is the symbolic and iconic tree that binds the constituent communities in Uratta together, to wit Umualum, Umuorii, Umuobaa, Okwu, Owalla, Owaelu, Umunnahu, Orji, Amakohia, Akwakuma ( Uratta ọfọ asatọ mbam-iri).
Parents normally celebrate their female daughters (Mgbọtọ) during Onwaoru festivities. In fact, nde Mgbọtọ (female daughters) are the centre of attraction during Onwaoru festivities. Parents adorn their maidens who are mature for marriage and present them to dance around the Obu-ozuzu tree. The maidens, who are colourfully dressed, usually dance around the Obu-ozuzu tree, ably led by the elder married Mgbọtọs. These maidens come with a fresh goat leg and utọrọ (fat of the goat) pasted on their foreheads, while dancing round the Obu-ozuzu tree, in a ceremony called ibi-ukwu-obu (placing your footmark on obu tree). This ceremony, an important aspect of Onwaoru Uratta, is anchored by Nde Mgbọtọ-Uratta.
Oke Nze Alex Anozie, an elder statesman in Umuimeka Orji-Uratta, explained that if the Onwaoru festivities coincide with the conclusion of “mgbede rites” ( fattening room) for maidens who are ripe for marriage in Orji community, the maidens will attend the Onwaoru festival from the mgbede fattening home, glowing, refreshed and looking very attractive for intending suitors. Talk about the mgbede fattening rites and the subsequent abundance of okashi vegetable leaves in Orji forests is a mystery yet unravelled.
Responding to a question about the link between Onwa Oru festival and farming, they said, “immediately after Onwaoru celebrations, there will be a series of hunting expeditions, preparatory to bush clearing, and cultivation of crops. The significance of the hunting expedition is to kill dangerous wild animals and scare them out of our farmlands. Clearing of the bushes for farming and cultivation starts immediately after the hunting expedition.
Social and Spiritual significance of Onwaoru.
Matchmaking
Onwaoru provides an opportunity and platform for matchmaking. Families of intending suitors come to Ime-Orie Uratta (venue of the celebrations) to seek out beautiful maidens for their sons and suitors. It is commonly believed that immediately after Onwaoru festivities, marriages will be consummated, and marriage ceremonies will abound. Most maidens who attend Onwaoru festival get hooked up for marriage subsequently. Socially, suitors see Onwaoru as a place or ground for match making to pick beautiful maidens for marriage.
Peace and Mutual co-existence
Since Onwaoru season is devoid of fighting, quarrelling, and rancour, it is essentially a season of peacemaking and reconciliation.
Onwaoru is also a season of joy. The festival can be likened to a national holiday season for the Uratta nation. Some say it is the traditional “Christmas” of nde-Uratta, hence it is devoid of sorrow or mourning. In the days of yore, those who died during Onwaoru were buried unceremoniously.
The ceremony which has enormous positive spiritual implications offers nde-Uratta the opportunities that remind us of taboos and forbidden acts for spiritual well being”.
Reminiscing on some positive changes in the celebration, they said, “ in recent years, the Engr Stanley Ukaga – led Uratta Development Association ( UDA) , organisers of Onwaoru festivals, have de-emphasised the fetish coloration of Onwaoru, as the emphasis is now on the social celebrations of the “farming” season”
They further stated that, “Onwaoru festival still offers the forum and platform for collective thanksgiving by nde -Uratta worldwide, while jointly making supplications to the Almighty Creator for more grace and more wins in our various “farms” or places of collective and individual endeavours, as a people of common ancestry and heritage. It also offers us opportunities to jaw-jaw on developmental strides and strategies within Uratta. It therefore behooves all of us to do all within our powers to make the Onwaoru Uratta festival a world-class tourist attraction. This is achievable if the current leadership of Uratta Development Association that has shown passionate commitment to the development of Uratta, preservation and sustenance of its rich cultural heritage is given the support and encouragement it needs to actualize its vision and mission”.
