Umuaka stakeholders issue new rules on Oghu Festival.
3 min read
What promises to be a new era for the peaceful celebration of Oghu Festival in Umuaka Municipal Council of Njaba LGA Imo State, may have begun, following a high profile meeting held last week on Wednesday July 5, 2023 in an undisclosed venue on how to celebrate the famous Oghu Festival in the community without rancour. The meeting which was convened by Umuaka Times newspapers was attended by Ndi Isi Oghu otherwise known as Ndi Ogbuloo, chief security officers of various security outfits from Umuaka, the Nigerian Police Njaba Division and other stakeholders, lasted for about 4 hours of serious deliberations and compromises. The main theme of the meeting was how to stop any form of violence and human rights abuses during the celebration of the yearly oghu festival. It can be recalled that a couple of days ago, some masquerades who appeared during the event of Oghu Afor Amiyi in Amiyi-Akah Autonomous Community, went against the cultural rules of engagement of the festival and seriously attacked some male and female spectators who came to witness the event. Some of the victims of the attack were immediately rushed to a medical facility for prompt medical attention. This ugly incident provoked the royal father of the community HRH Eze Francis Ahanotu who subsequently banned all the activities in the community relating to the celebration of oghu festival till further notice.
In order to forestall such ugly developments again in the entire Umuaka Municipal Council, Umuaka Times newspapers convened a meeting of the stakeholders in the community on how to address the problems arising from the festival, especially youth violence and human rights abuses normally carried out by nwokwa and egwudo masquerades.
The meeting which started by some minutes after 10 am on the eventful day made the following resolutions:
1. The movement of nwokwa masquerade has been restricted throughout the whole of Umuaka Municipal Council, unless the nwokwa is with a group of ugbala dancers. The violators of this law will be severely dealt with by local authorities.
2. Before any individual oghu is organized in Umuaka henceforth in any village, the organizers will seek the express permission of the royal father of the community who will then work out a possibility with Ndi Isi Oghu on how best to organize the event.
3. No more egwudo or nwokwa masquerades coming to Ime Afor Umuaka to promote any oghu dance event.
4. The act of youths who carry cutlasses, machetes, axes, jujus and other dangerous weapons and narcotic substances to block major roads in Umuaka in the name of oghu celebration has been prohibited henceforth. The major roads affected are, Ime Afor Nkwo Ikpa Road, Ugbele Umuele Road, Amiyi Road and Orlu Owerri Road.
5. No more masquerades and youths from neighbouring towns like Amurie, Ekwe etc coming to Umuaka to cause mayhem or social disorganization in the name of oghu dance promotions.
6. An oghu task force committee has been set up to monitor and effect the arrest of any one who goes against the new rules. The committee is made up of the police, Ndi Isi Oghu and chief security officers of all the 10 autonomous communities in Umuaka Municipal Council.
7. In the case of the Amiyi sad incident, it was agreed that the Amiyi royal father, HRH Eze Francis Ahanotu and his cabinet are handling the case and therefore do not need any interference from anybody. Also the Obinwanne royal father, HRM Eze Justin Uzoma Ezeala has banned any nwokwa or egwudo masquerade from reaching Afor Umuaka. Umuaka Times gathered that the Oninwanne Umuaka Autonomous Community will deal ruthlessly with any masquerade that violates the order from the royal Chukwujiekwu Palace Obinwanne.
A public announcement has also been made throughout Umuaka Municipal to make sure every family gets the warning and warns her sons.
