The most senior community in Olokoro, Umuoparaozara in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State, celebrated its 2025 Iri Ji (new yam) festival with grandeur and a historic cultural transition.
At the heart of the occasion was a landmark decision by the community’s 94-year-old monarch, His Royal Highness Eze Silva Nnanta Ubani, Eze Ukwu I of Umuoparaozara Olokoro, who formally handed over the revered Obini tradition to a younger custodian.
The event, which featured the Obini final rite performance, underscored the monarch’s foresight in ensuring continuity of one of the community’s most sacred cultural practices. Symbolized through drumming and rituals, the Obini represents peace, unity, and heritage.
Explaining his decision, the nonagenarian ruler acknowledged the inevitability of age, stressing the need to transfer the responsibility while alive to avoid disputes and preserve harmony.
Chief Dr. Innocent Nwokoma Onyekwere, Ikwubuike II of Amaukwa Umuoparaozara, hailed the king’s action as a model of transparency and wisdom. He urged other traditional and community leaders to emulate Eze Ubani’s step, noting that it prevented succession crises that often arise when rulers pass away without clarifying custodianship.
“Eze Ubani did not keep the Obini within his family line or wait until death. Instead, he called the council and openly transmitted the heritage under transparency and peace,” Onyekwere said.
Other community leaders shared similar sentiments.
Chief Ikediuwa Christian Nnanta, chairman of the festival planning committee, described the Iri Ji festival as both thanksgiving to God and a reaffirmation of Igbo identity. He called for the revival of other cultural festivals such as Ikperikpeogu, Ekpe, and Ozumozu, which shaped discipline and morality in past generations.
Chief Ikechukwu Nwokocha, Ikwu I of Ogele, emphasized that the Obini is a “festival of peace” historically used to mark significant events like the birth of a male child or the death of a king.
Royal High Chief Chibueze Samuel Nwosu, chairman of Olokoro traditional titled chiefs, lauded the monarch’s foresight, stressing that his decision averted potential succession disputes.
Engr. Chief Martin Ogbuleke, President General of Umuoparaozara Autonomous Community, noted that the community celebrates the festival with biblical principles, shorn of fetish practices, thereby strengthening values of peace and unity.
The celebration was more than just a harvest thanksgiving; it was a milestone in cultural preservation and leadership transition. By handing over the Obini while alive, Eze Ubani set a precedent for peaceful succession, reinforcing communal cohesion and ensuring that Umuoparaozara’s heritage remains vibrant for future generations.
Other dignitaries, including Chief Patrick Ogboso and Mr. Ikechukwu Onuaju, joined in praising the monarch’s wisdom and reaffirmed solidarity with the community’s long-standing tradition of peace and cultural richness.
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