By joshua Ebonyi LG Boss Calls for Sustenance of Izzi Culture, Says Ojiji Festival Not Fetish
By Emmanuel Agbo, Abakaliki
The Chairman of Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Chief Chidiebere Onyemaechi Alo, has called for the sustenance and preservation of the cultural heritage and traditions of the Izzi people.
Alo said the Ojiji Izzi New Yam Festival was not fetish and did not contradict religious beliefs or activities, stressing that the festival remained an important aspect of the people’s cultural identity.
The council boss stated this while addressing journalists during the 2026 grand finale of the Ojiji Izzi New Yam Festival held at the Izzi Cultural Centre, Amegu, in Abakaliki Local Government Area.
He said the festival was inherited from the ancestors and should not be allowed to go into extinction and prayed for bumper harvest this year.
According to him, Ojiji marks the beginning of a new calendar year in Izzi land and signifies the official commencement of the consumption of new yam, regarded as the king of crops.
Alo urged the younger generation to embrace and preserve the culture and traditions of the Izzi people, while calling on parents to inculcate the values of the people’s rich cultural heritage in their children.
He also called on the Izzi Nnodo Ekumenyi to promote peace and unity across the clan and urged youths to shun political violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Also speaking, the Chief of Staff to the Ebonyi State Governor, Prof. Emmanuel Echiegu, described the Ojiji festival as a unique cultural heritage of the Izzi people.
Echiegu urged youths in the clan to prioritise agriculture, particularly the cultivation of yam and other crops, and engage in productive ventures rather than relying on politics as their major means of livelihood.
The Chairman of the 2026 Ojiji Festival Planning Committee and Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, Prof. Paul Awo Nwobashi, said the festival traditionally signalled the commencement of the consumption of new yam.
Nwobashi explained that, traditionally, no man or woman was expected to harvest or eat the new yam until the Ojiji festival had been celebrated.
He described Ojiji as a period of sober reflection, peace, love, reconciliation and the exchange of gifts among family members, friends, in-laws and well-wishers.
The commissioner called for the continued preservation of Izzi culture and traditions, saying they remained essential to the progress and prosperity of the clan.
In his remarks, the Eze Oha in Lagos, Eze Augustine Osondu Nwego, described Ojiji as a unique cultural heritage and identity of the Izzi people.
Nwego, however, advocated the total eradication of kindredship, arguing that the practice had caused more harm than good within the clan.
The event was attended by top government functionaries, traditional and religious leaders, political support groups and other stakeholders, with traditional prime ministers showcasing various aspects of Izzi culture and heritage.