Onitsha monarch's Ofala goes international
From Chuks Collins, Awka

THIS year's version of the annual Ofala festival of the reigning Onitsha monarch, His Majesty, Obi Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, which comes up on Monday, October 5, 2009 would go international this year.





This was revealed by the Onowu-Iyasele, Chief Chike Ofodile(SAN) during a press conference at the Ime-Obi palace ground yesterday.

According to him, distinguished personalities from West African countries like Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia as well as foreign ambassadors in Nigeria have been invited.

He said: "As you are aware, the ofala festival is the most spectacular event in the Onitsha traditional calendar. The significance of ofala centres on the fact that it is the only day in the year when the reigning monarch interacts with his subjects publicly.

"Prior to this public outing, the monarch goes into spiritual retreat during which he makes supplications to God Almighty and our ancestors for all misdeeds of the past year.

"His emergence from this seclusion which lasts for five days is the cultural triumph and a direct evidence of the fact that the past year had been a huge success," Ofodile noted.

On the challenging security situation in the state now, in view of the expected visitors, scholars and tourists at the ofala, the former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice praised the gallant efforts of the Police in bringing the situation to a manageable level.

He assured that no stone would be left unturned in ensuring the safety and security of the town.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/oct/3/27.html

Will you be there?

Onowu - Iyasele

Now i'm beginin' to make out facts from what i read sometime ago about the Benin kingdom and that of Onitsha, that the latter originated from the former. The name 'Iyasele' is a bini name isn't it?

Both the Ofala and the Igue festivals i'm told also have strikin' similarities.

I also learnt too that the Obi of Onitsha goes by the title 'agbogidi'

The current Obi of Onitsha has said it several times that he does not believe in this crap Bini ancestry of Onitsha. During the months of August, september and October; iri ji is celebrated all over Igboland. But every community has a different name for it. In Arondiizuogu, it is Ikeji, in Isinweke, it is Wiyi etc. The Ofala is their own version of Iri ji and that does not take their Igboness away from them.
The title of the Bini monarch is Oba yet Erediuwa is no a Yoruba.

obiem:

Onowu - Iyasele

Now i'm beginin' to make out facts from what i read sometime ago about the Benin kingdom and that of Onitsha, that the latter originated from the former. The name 'Iyasele' is a bini name isn't it?

Both the Ofala and the Igue festivals i'm told also have strikin' similarities.

I also learnt too that the Obi of Onitsha goes by the title 'agbogidi'

Iyasele and igbo iyasele does not have the same pronounciation. Of course, there are similarities in our languages and possible links no matter how the current obi of Onitsha tries to deny it. Check out yoruba names for chicken and stone and compare with igbo names. Agbogidi is used across Anambra. Other synonyms for agbogidi are ogidigada and Oyi.

Fowl:
Yoruba = akuko
igbo= okuko

stone:
Yoruba=akute
igbo= okwute

Mouth
Yoruba= enu
igbo =onu etc.

Elephant
Yoruba: ****i forgot
igbo= enyi

Andre Uweh:

The current Obi of Onitsha has said it several times that he does not believe in this crap Bini ancestry of Onitsha. During the months of August, september and October; iri ji is celebrated all over Igboland. But every community has a different name for it. In Arondiizuogu, it is Ikeji, in Isinweke, it is Wiyi etc. The Ofala is their own version of Iri ji and that does not take their Igboness away from them.
The title of the Bini monarch is Oba yet Erediuwa is no a Yoruba.

arochukwu also calls it ikeji, with its aba and ekpo, thats my best part of culture, i remember igba oso ekpo( running from the ekpo ) in 1989 as a 7yr old. 1 ekpo masquerade made my ji( yam) and nmanu that my grandma gave me to fall on the ground, and i cried till i developed fever . but its all good, i celebrae my culture, wish i could be there. up up ikeji arochukwu!

Andre Uweh:

The current Obi of Onitsha has said it several times that he does not believe in this crap Bini ancestry of Onitsha.

Wrong! The Obi cannot be the only custodian of history. Chances are that his knowledge is limited.

[

Andre Uweh:
The Ofala is their own version of Iri ji and that does not take their Igboness away from them.
The title of the Bini monarch is Oba yet Erediuwa is no a Yoruba.

I never argued about the Igboness of the ofala, i talked about some similarities in style between the two festivals. One is Igbo, while the other is bini.

Mind you, the benin oba and ever other oba has it's origin from yoruba land

[quote="Andre Uweh"] iri ji is celebrated all over Igboland[/quote]
Not necessarily. For example, Iri Ji celebrartion is not part of the culture of Ngwa and Ndoki areas.

Anyway, congratulations to Onitsha.

In agrarian igbo societies, the end and beginning of a planting season is often marked by a feast, that feast is called Iriji, Iwa ji Ihu ji, nrim ji in Obowu etc. In some other communities it goes by different names and may not neccessarily be called Iri ji. In my own community in Ihitte-Uboma, it is not nrim ji but Mbomuzo. Ngwa and Ukwa people may not call it Iri ji but definitely they have a festival to celebrate and pray for a fruitful season ahead. This is Igbowide and occurs traditionally between the months of August-October.
I know that in some communities, the dates have been changed to December. One Ngwa elder (Ugwu na agbo) told me that because of heavy down pour in August, that the community by concesus chose December for their Ifu Ekpo festival.
On Obaship, the Oba of Benin has published a book where he rewrote the history of his people rather than the history seen through the eyes of Yoruba historians or Eghrevba who is partly Yoruba and grew up in Yorubaland. There is no better person to tell the history of their people rather than the monarchs themselves eg Igwe Achebe and Oba Erediuwa.

No, we don't have a festival to celebrate and pray for a fruitfull season ahead. That's not to say that it can't be celebrated though, because it can. There's no law against it, in our cultural zone. So, it can be done on an individual basis (if the person wants - i.e. a farmer who just so happens to like last season's yield, and would like to celebrate it), but even that is rare and atypical in our cultural zone.

So, long story short, Iri Ji festival, by whatever name it goes by in other parts of Igboland, is just not part of our culture. It is something that just isn't done by us, as a people.

To ndiigbo worldwide, Iri ji now and days is an encompassing festival that unites Ndiigbo. It is celebrated in Lagos, Abuja, kano, Abidjan, London , Chicago, Munich, Tokyo. The aim is to unify the Igbo people. As a result, Ofala, ekpo, Ikeji, nmowu etc falls under iri ji.

I think I get what you're saying. . So, nowadays, in an effort to culturally unite the Igbo, any festival that falls within August to October is part of Iri Ji ndi Igbo, even if the festival is not an Iri Ji festival. Am I understanding correctly?

Regardless, ndi Igbo can celebrate whatever they want, and say whatever they want, to make us all more culturally homogenous, but that doesn't change the fact that the actual Iri Ji festival is not part of Ngwa and Ndoki culture.

Who gives a rat's ass if its not celebrated in Ngwa and Ndoki? ahhhh una dey argue over spilt milk. Only 2 communities hence they fall under a tiny minority if you are correct. Iri ji, Ikeji is still a popular event across Igbo land so whether ur immediate community does not do doesn't change the fact that majority of us do it. What's your point?

Udezue,ur opinion get as e be,still i respect it,its ur opinion.
@Chineye,are you sure the Ngwas and Ndokis dont celebrate new yam festival esp the Ngwas?it might be called another name I heard somewhere that Igbos dont eat new yams unless after the iri ji festival is done in the villages,am just suprised sha,u might be right.
@Topic,Congrats to Ado ppl.

udezue:

Who gives a rat's ass if its not celebrated in Ngwa and Ndoki? ahhhh una dey argue over spilt milk. Only 2 communities hence they fall  under a tiny minority if you are correct. Iri ji, Ikeji is still a popular event across Igbo land so whether your immediate community does not do doesn't change the fact that majority of us do it. What's your point?

Why are so imposing?. if their people do not do the festival, why insult her over it?. Ngwa people have a peculiar culture in igboland. is it not the home town of Eze Enweremadu?

I'm not imposing anything on anybody neither was I trying to insult anyone's local heritage. Sorryyyy

What rubbish.

please if you are not from onitsha Ado, don't say what you dont know of

onicha ado n'idu

franclin88:

please if you are not from onitsha Ado, don't say what you dont know of

onicha ado n'idu

My brother do not go there. You have Europeans and Americans in Nigerian universities who are authorities in Nigerian sociology, history, politics, agriculture, economics etc. On the other hand, you have Nigerians here in the UK lecturing in English language.,history, ecomomics etc.
Most researchers of Onitsha culture are not from Onitsha and that is life. Anyway, the topic is on Ofala festival. Would you be there?. What do you know about Ofala festival?.

i wont be there because i am in Lagos now but i have been attending it for years luckly for me my uncle is Ojiede Eze of onitsha, chief Ngozi Okafo and i have been his bell ringer twice to ofala festival even when Okagbue was still alive as Obi. i live and school at onicha and iam from onitsha, Nwosisi family of umuonogbo village, at least i know the history of onicha to some extent because my grand mother who is 98 years told me about mine history and other things , my grand mother is the first daughter of IKe Bosa of umuasele village.
but will you be there too because you sound as person living in US presently. what is your real name, i have my cousine there too whom you might know.

Nwosisi Okechukwu

Lost man ^^^

Franclin88
Thanks a lot for your reply. Unfortunately, I will not be there but in 2010 God willing. I am a no Onitsha native but an associate. I love Onitsha culture. I have heard and read so much about Onitsha. Some of my best friends here in the UK are from Onitsha.
Long live Ofala festival. Long live Onitsha and Anambra people. Long live Igwe Achebe and his campaign for Igbo unity.

Andre Uweh do you interact with any non-Igbos at all or is your socialization strictly limited to Igbos and Igboids.

Rather restrictive, imo.

However its a free world and you can mix with who you like anyway. Whatever setting you feel comfortable in.

franclin88:

i wont be there because i am in Lagos now but i have been attending it for years luckly for me my uncle is Ojiede Eze of onitsha, chief Ngozi Okafo and i have been his bell ringer twice to ofala festival even when Okagbue was still alive as Obi. i live and school at onicha and iam from onitsha, Nwosisi family of umuonogbo village, at least i know the history of onicha to some extent because my grand mother who is 98 years told me about mine history and other things , my grand mother is the first daughter of IKe Bosa of umuasele village.
but will you be there too because you sound as person living in US presently. what is your real name, i have my cousine there too whom you might know.

Nwosisi Okechukwu

Are you related to the Bosa lady that acts movies? Where is she now?

tpia.:

Andre Uweh do you interact with any non-Igbos at all or is your socialization strictly limited to Igbos and Igboids.

Rather restrictive, imo.

However its a free world and you can mix with who you like anyway. Whatever setting you feel comfortable in.

I interact with all sorts of Nigerians. I have so many Yoruba friends considering the fact my education and Youth service were in Yorubaland.
In this Island I live, through education and career, I have made so many Nigerian friends. Having said that, I am an ethnic Igbo and very happy to serve Igbo organisations here. In our Igbo Youth organisation here, I have brought non Igbos and Non Nigerians to deliver lectures on important topics that affects the globe.
I know you are Yoruba and likes Ndiigbo, how about non Yorubas and non Igbos?.

Andre Uweh:

I interact with all sorts of Nigerians. I have so many Yoruba friends considering the fact my education and Youth service were in Yorubaland.
In this Island I live, through education and career, I have made so many Nigerian friends. Having said that, I am an ethnic Igbo and very happy to serve Igbo organisations here. In our Igbo Youth organisation here, I have brought non Igbos and Non Nigerians to deliver lectures on important topics that affects the globe.
I know you are Yoruba and likes Ndiigbo, how about non Yorubas and non Igbos?.

because of my general background, I dont tend to view things from an ethnic viewpoint except when I'm facing bigots and xenophobes.

However, rock on. We cant all be the same.

I'm not trying to start some tribal nonsense here, but I have to say this. Why does Tpia always have to comment on every thread on NL that has to do with Igbo. It's a public forum and everyone has the right to post a comment any where the want, I can also understand the fascination with the Igbo culture but this is getting very scary.

OgidiBoy:

I'm not trying to start some tribal nonsense here, but I have to say this. Why does Tpia always have to comment on every thread on NL that has to do with Igbo. It's a public forum and everyone has the right to post a comment any where the want, I can also understand the fascination with the Igbo culture but this is getting very scary.

can you count all the Igbo threads and then count all the ones where tpia commented so we can have an idea how to solve this problem.

i thought you said you're not igbo?

Are you Igbo now?

tpia.:

can you count all the Igbo threads and then count all the ones where tpia commented so we can have an idea how to solve this problem.

i thought you said you're not igbo?

Are you Igbo now?

Like I have time to be counting threads on NL, come on now Mrs Tpia. I like reading some of the postings on Culture section and everytime I come across an Igbo thread you there arguing and causing trouble

My dear I never said I was Igbo I just asked you why you thought I was Igbo.


If you must know, I'm Igbo and proud of it. Just like I know you a proud Yoruba lady. And we all Nigerians so no need for all the tribal nonsence pls.

Say hey to Mr Tpia for me ok

Franclin,u said u are from 'umunogbo' in onicha?pls where is that?