From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Within 48 hours of opening up a WhatsApp platform for the 2023 IRIJI MBAISE, a new yam festival, the sons and daughters of the Mbaise Nation have raised over N5 million towards the hosting of this year’s iconic cultural festival.
This was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the Finance Committee (a subset of the Central Planning Caucus), Chief Okechukwu Ulokwe on Monday.
This amount, according to Ulokwe, is already 20 percent of the fundraising goal for the upcoming event, saying that, “We have only scratched the surface of our people’s good will towards the upcoming Iriji-Mbaise event”.
Held every year on the 15th of August, with Ndi Ezeji (initiated and accomplished yam farmers/chiefs) and Ndi Eze (traditional rulers) officiating, Iriji Mbaise is a national cultural festival identified with the Mbaise people of Imo State.
“The event celebrates the yam as the king of crops, in thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest of all crops. The hosting rights of the event is rotated yearly among the three Local Government Areas of Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise, and Ezinihite Mbaise. It is the turn of Aboh Mbaise to host in 2023”. He said.
The statement added that, “the President of the sociocultural group, Olu Oha Mbaise, High Chief Perry Opara, said the group had the capacity to fund the event without recourse to government funds.
“We pulled off a great event last year, where Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State attended and was honoured with the historic chieftaincy title of “Enyioma Mbaise,” Opara said, adding that “the event this year will be even more grand.”
The 2013 Iriji Mbaise will be anchored culturally by the Chairman of the Aboh Mbaise Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Eze M.J.D. Nwaturuocha, and the President General of the association of Ndi Ezeji in Mbaise, Ezeji Chief Gregory Iheagwu. The statement added.
