*Festival is cultural heritage, not idol worship-Chairman
By Uche Nnabuchi
It was a celebration of culture, thanksgiving and unity in Akpo Community, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, as members of Umuokpalaejiaku Kindred gathered in grand style to mark this year’s New Yam Festival.
The colourful event, held over the weekend, showcased the rich cultural heritage of the kindred while reinforcing a tradition that has continued to distinguish Umuokpalaejiaku in Akpo.
After participating in the community-wide New Yam Festival, the kindred holds its own separate celebration—a tradition it pioneered in the community and which has subsequently been adopted by other kindreds in the town.
Speaking with journalists at the event, Chairman of Umuokpalaejiaku Kindred, Chief Okey Okpalaojimadu, expressed appreciation to members for their impressive turnout and commitment to preserving the tradition.
He explained that Umuokpalaejiaku was the first kindred in Akpo to institutionalise an independent New Yam celebration following the town-wide festival.
“Men in our kindred traditionally provide yam for the celebration. Going forward, for next year’s festival, our women will also provide corn, Ugu and other farm produce from their plantations,” he announced.
Chief Okpalaojimadu also admonished married women in the kindred to uphold respect in their homes and give priority to their matrimonial responsibilities.
Addressing misconceptions about the festival, the chairman stressed that the celebration was firmly rooted in culture and thanksgiving to God, rather than idol worship.
“New Yam Festival is our cultural heritage. It is not idol worship. It is a time to thank God for life and for bumper harvest,” he said.
Also speaking, Chairman of Umuokpalaejiaku in the Diaspora, Nze Henry Okpalaku, described the festival as an important occasion for thanksgiving, fellowship and unity.
“We have assembled to give God glory for the gift of life. I urge our people to always embrace God, trust in Him and shun evil for the peace and progress of our kindred,” he said.
Chairman of the Organising Committee, Nze Anthony Okpalaezinne, urged members to sustain the annual celebration, describing it as an important legacy inherited from their forefathers.
“This yearly celebration must be upheld. Our culture is our identity and we must not allow it to die,” he stressed.
In his remarks, the Isiobi of Umuokpalaejiaku, Ichie Chigozie Okpalaisinkeo, appealed to members who had distanced themselves from the festival to reconsider their position and reconnect with the community’s cultural heritage.
He noted that the culture existed long before the advent of Christianity in the community.
“Culture was here before the church came. We pray for God’s continued protection over our entire kindred,” he prayed.
Highlights of the celebration included traditional music, cultural dances, prayers of thanksgiving, as well as the ceremonial cutting and eating of new yam, all symbolising gratitude to God for a fruitful farming season.
The event ended with renewed calls for unity, cultural preservation and collective progress among the sons and daughters of Umuokpalaejiaku at home and in the diaspora.
