On Saturday, July 2, 2023, traditional rulers in Mbaise, government appointees, and cultural experts converged to discuss and commence plans for the 2023 offering of IriJi-Mbaise celebrations.
The meeting was held at the Leadership Palace of Nneise Ihitte, in Ezinihite Mbaise. It was hosted by Olu Oha Mbaise, a sociocultural organization, which has Prince Perry Opara as it’s President.
“Ji” is yam in the Igbo language. “Ji” is a crop most revered among all the crops cultivated in a year.
Just as the leopard (Agu) is celebrated by the Igbo as the king of the jungle (Europeans tell us the Lion is), “ji” is celebrated as the king of crops. The size of one’s tubers of yam upon harvest will determine if it was a bountiful harvest or not.
“Iri Ji” is an Igbo festival celebrated to honour and thank “Ala,” the god of fertility, for a bountiful harvest and to commence in full the harvest season. This festival is expected to be in practice all over Igbo land, but some communities have stopped the practice because of Christianity.
However, among the people of Mbaise in Imo State, the new yam festival (Iriji-Mbaise) still stands tall. Some Christian celebrants have changed the tributes to Ala to tributes to the Christian God, but the truly initiated Ezejis remain thankful to Ala.
Mbaise is made up of three local government areas (Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise, and Ezinihitte Mbaise).
The three communities come together every year to celebrate the new yam festival, with each LGA taking turns to host. For the people of Mbaise, this event is marked out for so much fun and enjoyment.
The new yam festival is celebrated among Mbaise people on the 15th of August every year. This event is marked with one local government area playing host.
Last year (2022), Olu Oha Mbaise organized the festival hosted by Ezinihite Mbaise LGA, during which the current governor of Imo State, Governor Hope Uzodimma, was conferred with the chieftaincy title of “Enyioma Mbaise” by the combined team of traditional rulers (Ndi Eze of Mbaise).
This year, the event will be hosted by Aboh Mbaise LGA.
At the meeting held last Saturday, plans commenced for this year’s festival, with the following highlights:
1). Olu Oha Mbaise General Assembly is to organize the Iriji Mbaise Festival 2023.
2). Aboh Mbaise LGA is to host this year’s event, with the Chairman of the Aboh Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Eze Nwaturuocha, as the Chief Host.
3). Olu Oha Mbaise agreed to welcome all Mbaise sons and daughters who wish to be part of the organization.
4). Donations totaling 750,000 Naira were raised for the Iriji Mbaise festival at the meeting, with 500,000 Naira of it pledged by Dr. Ugorji Okechukwu Ugorji.
In the course of the meeting, committees were established to see to the smooth planning and execution of the event. They include:
A. The Central Cultural Committee. This committee will be headed by Eze Nwaturuocha. President General of Ndi Ezeji Mbaise, Chief Ikeagwu, was also chosen as Co-Chairman of the Central Cultural Committee, while Chief Kenneth Iheonunekwu is to serve as Secretary of the committee.
B. The Security Committee will be headed by Dr . Ugorji Okechukwu Ugorji, Imo State Commissioner for Homeland Security and Vigilante Affairs.
C. The Media/ Publicity Committee, which is to be headed by Oguwuike Nwachukwu, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Imo State.
D. The Entertainment Committee will be headed by Nze Millo Olewuike.
E. The Protocol Committee will be headed by Barr Ogechi Njoku-Ehirim, the Aboh Mbaise LGA SOLAD.
F. The Mobilization Committee will be headed by Chief Justus Ogu, the APC Owerri Zonal Chairman.
Those in attendance at the meeting were Government appointees, including Commissioner Ugorji, SAs, Coordinators of Development Centres, Hon. Henry NRY Agbasonu, House member of Ezinihitte.
The Chairmen also in attendance were the Chairmen of the Traditional Rulers Councils of Ahiazu (HRH Eze Nwabeche) and Aboh Mbaise (HRH Eze Nwaturuocha), LGA Chairmen of APC, President Generals of Autonomous Communities, Women leaders and Ndi-Ezeji, amongst many others.
Preparations are in full gear as Mbaise sons and daughters from all over the world are expected to return home to join in the celebrations.
According to Perry Opara, Olu Oha Mbaise plans to receive the governor for the second time, to thank him for his government’s works in Mbaise, and also to break and share yam with him for the second time as governor. Read more.
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