As people of Mbaise prepare to celebrate their Iriji cultural festival on 15th and 16th of August, 2022, the Council of Traditional Rulers of the 3 Local Government Areas of Ahiazu Mbaise, Ezinihitte Mbaise and Aboh Mbaise, have said that the rich annual festival propagates peace, joy and unity in their land hence they had sustained it from generation to generation.
They mentioned that the Iriji cultural festival will be celebrated in fanfare as sons and daughters of Mbaise home and abroad are fully prepared for the festivity, reminding that the festival is not fetish nor mundane, but a celebration of thanksgiving to God for a bountiful yam harvest and God’s sustenance throughout the farming season. The Council of Traditional Rulers in the 3 Local Government Areas of Mbaise: HRH, Eze O. B Nwokocha (the Umara III of Adakan Amumara, Ezinihite Mbaise), HRH, Eze J. D Nwaturuocha (Eze Udo V of Nguru Nwekeoha of Aboh Mbaise), HRH, Eze Sabinus Nwaneche (Ogwu 1 of Ogwuama of Ahiazu Mbaise), other traditional rulers and the Ezejis in the 3 localities, in a release signed by HRH, Eze Ezeji James Ndubuisi Nnamdi (Mirioma Durujiaku Ubomaii of Nguru Nweke), Chairman, Ndi Eze Na Ndi Ezeji Sub-committee for Iriji Mbaise 2022, HRH, Eze Ezeji, Dr. Ifeanyi Uwahem (KSC Nkwo II of Onicha Nwenkwo), Deputy Chairman and made available to the media in Owerri on Wednesday, resolved that the Iriji cultural festival will hold as scheduled.
They affirmed that “the Iriji Mbaise cultural festival shall hold as originally scheduled. People should stay quietly in their homes on Monday, 15th of August, 2022, to thank our Chi and eat the new yam. On Tuesday, 16th August, 2022, there will be a Cultural Carnival/Iriji Mbaise Festival at Town School, Itu, Ezinihite Mbaise. The Iriji will be coordinated by the traditional rulers across the autonomous communities in Mbaise and titled Ezejis in Mbaise. Mbaise, with more than 90 autonomous communities and Ezes have not mandated any one to cancel this age-long traditional festival.”
Thus, the monarch called on Mbaise indigenes to ignore the speculations in the media by some persons in the areas that the 2022 Iriji cultural festival of Mbaise had been cancelled indefinitely due to raging insecurity in the areas, saying such was an unfounded rumor peddled by mischief makers who want to use ill politics to cause disunity and fuel crisis in Mbaise. “Contrary to speculations and innuendos by the so-called stakeholders of Mbaise that the age-long annual Iriji festival to thank God for a bountiful harvest will not hold this year, 2022, is false and misleading.
No one man or individual has the right to coerce or force any man in Mbaise to participate in the Iriji festival and on the other hand, no one has the right to stop another from thanking his Chi for a good harvest. Imo State Government recognizes only 27 LGA Chairmen, 3 Zonal Chairmen and 1 State Chairman for Council of Traditional Institution and Community Policing in Imo State”, they noted. They maintained that “the good people of Mbaise appreciate the effort of His Excellency, Hope Uzodimma and security agencies in Imo State for reducing to the barest minimum the level of insecurity in Imo State.
This has resulted in peaceful Christmas celebration in 2021 in Mbaise and elsewhere in Imo State. Also, on the 1st of January, 2022, Ezinitte Mbaise hosted a peaceful Oji Ezinihitte without rancour or bridge of public peace. In the same vein, Iriji Mbaise 2022 shall be held without any security hitches”. “We advise any Mbaise son and daughter who has any useful information about any impending break down of law or insecurity to hasten to report to security agencies in Imo State instead of playing politics with our traditional practice. We commend all the security agencies in Imo State for living up to our bidding of securing lives and property in the State”, the traditional rulers stressed. The monarchs thanked Governor Hope Uzodimma, for flagging off Owerri/Mbaise/Umuahia Road, urging the Governor to “ensure that the Owerri and Mbaise axis commence simultaneously to ensure that Mbaise will first hand benefit from the dividends of his good governance.”
