From TCNEWS
A community leader, Mazi Obinali Ihedinobi and the Chief Executive Officer of Obison Motors has harped on the need for the Igbos to maintain and sustain meaningful cultures and traditions of their Communities.

Pix: Mazi Obinali Ihedinobi.
Speaking during the celebration of the year 2024 Aabia festival of Amankwo Uzuakoli community in Bende Local Government Area of the state, Mazi Obinali said that such festival like Ààbia festival affords the people an avenue to know their relations and how they are interrelated.
He encouraged the Church not to force meaningful cultural heritage like Ààbia festival into extinction but to promote it as it is not fetish but was designed to correct anomalies in the society.

“We have three villages that made up Amankwo, namely, Umuisu, Ndagbo and Amuzi. We celebrate new yam festival in Afor and Nkwo, the prelude is on the Orie, when the Okonko people will parade at night eulogizing the exploits of the forefathers in Eke, Eketenzi dance will also take place during the Eke day.

” Orie’ Ogbu in Uzuakoli is celebrated just like Christmas celebration for Christians. The celebration is observed on September. It is a special day when the entire Uzuakoli will cook and eat rice, because rice is a special staple in Uzuakoli and after that day no one eats rice because then, rice was for the .bourgeoisie”, Obinali recalled as he went down memory lane.
On the significance of Ààbia festival, Obinali said, “It is simply, go and know your relatives, especially, how you are related maternally; and knowing this helps in no small ways in trying to avoid certain things like incest, shedding the blood of one’s relative among others”.

He appreciated the efforts of Chief Chukwuemeka Kingsley Okorie, Mr. Chukwuma Madukwe, among others, for thinking homewards, despite living in the foreign lands and in Diaspora and for encouraging him to ensure that the Ààbia festival which nearly went into comatose for about 30 years was revived.

Speaking during the Ààbia festival, Mr. Cliff Agbaeze, State Commissioner for Agriculture restated Government’s commitment to prioritize agriculture as a catalyst for economic development, wealth creation, and employer of both direct and indirect job opportunities.

Agbaeze, who was accompanied by Mr. Awa Maxwell of Agro VAMAS and Logistics Limited; Mr. Kelvin Ma, General Manager of China Overseas Engineering Corporation; the Special Assistant to the Governor on Vulnerable Groups and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Ifeoma; Special Assistant on Trade, Commerce and Industry, Chief Nwaka Inem; and Dr. Uchenna Onyeizu, State Project Coordinator of LIFE-ND said the state is ready and determined to create enabling ambience to empower farmers to produce more food, process their farm produces, create jobs and add value to realize more revenue for agro produces in every locality.
The Commissioner who recalled his childhood memories in Amankwo, advised the agrarian community to articulate their challenges and forward same to his office for consideration.

Speaking also, the Mayor of Bende Local Government Area, Hon. Chijioke Nwankwo who reiterated his administration’s commitment to creating a sustainable agricultural economy in Bende, reassured the community of his commitment towards agriculture.

Pix: HRH Lieutenant Commander Anthony Okoronkwo (Rtd).
Speaking respectively, the traditional ruler of Amankwo autonomous community, HRH Lieutenant Commander Anthony Okoronkwo (Rtd) the Nkwo I of Amankwo autonomous community; HRH Eze Onyeabor Moses, Iji II of Agbozu autonomous community; HRH Eze Joseph Ezegbulem Okorie, Ugwu I of Ngwu Uzuakoli; HRH Eze Sunday Maduka of Isiala Amankwo autonomous community and High Chief Ndubueze Ariwodo, the President General of Amankwo Uzuakoli said that the Ààbia festival was designed to instill the concept of consciousness on their children so that they will know their root and blood relatives in order not to pollute the land.

They maintained that meaningful cultural heritage and recreation like Ààbia festival will not go into extinction no matter the pressure from the Church.

The festival featured cultural recreational activities including the Ayoo dance.