By Ignatius soroibe
It was indeed a celebration of culture at its best as the good people of Umuhu Autonomous community in Ngor Okpala local government area gathered in grand style to celebrate the 2024 Umuhu cultural festival on Tuesday 31st December 2024.
This colourful event which was held at community central school, Umuhu, commenced with an opening prayer taken by a renowned culture and Arts exponent Chief Charles Omenka Okata.
In his welcome address the president general of Umuhu Autonomous community.Hon Valentine Nwaimo described the cultural festival as an” annual get-together which was re-introduced in 2022 after a prolonged period of disunity with a view to reviving our rich cultural heritage as well as fund raising for developmental projects such as fencing of our college, maintenance of our dilapidated primary School building and up grading Afor Umuhu central market etc”.
He thanked the people for “Their patriotism and love for their culture and unity.”.
In his own address, the traditional ruler of the community.His royal Highness, Eze Basil Anyanwu went down memory lane to give a brief history of Umuhu Autonomous community as well as her location.
The royal father highlighted Umuhu cultural festivals to Include “Agu, Ahanjoku, Onwa asaa,Ikpo mkpukpo and ike-eye .
He described Umuhu cultural festival “As a unifying factor and a sign of Peaceful co-existence among his people”.
In his own contribution, the chairman of the occasion Hon. Sylvester Ekeh, who was visibly elated described the occasion as “Unique and very successful”, pointing out that as a lover of his people and a philanthropist, he came to support his people.
He corroborated the president general’s believe from the sea of people that graced the occasion that indeed peace has returned to the community.
Adding his voice, Chief Charles Omenka Okata described the event as “super fine, best of its kind, unique and unbeatable”.
While the palace secretary, Nze Barrister Samuel Nwankwo described it as “unprecedented, every sons and daughters of Umuhu and their friends that are here today are excited, danced, ate, and made merry.
“We have been having cultural festivals but today’s own is very special and unprecedented”.
While chief Chris Onu, the traditional prime minister one and two of the community saw the event as, “symbolizing the return of peace to the community and something to glorify God”.
Chief Anselem okorie Onu described the event as, “a sign of good things to come”, While Engr. Henry Ezedike and his amiable wife described the occasion as, “a confirmation that peace has returned to the community judging by the heavy turn out of Umuhu people and their friends”.
A former chief press secretary to a one time governor of Imo State; Chief Henry Ekpe,who is also an illustrious son of the community and Editor- in -chief of a popular newspaper based in owerri described the event as “A wonderful event,
“We are celebrating our culture this last day of 2024.” According to him, “we are here today with our wives, our children and our friends from all walks of life, we did this celebration last year but there is an improvement in this one, by the grace of God, if we are going to be alive till next year, it is going to be bigger and higher than what we are seeing now”.
Reacting to a question about the return of peace in his community he said “There is crisis everywhere, just like Mr President is facing, there is crisis in churches and families, the only thing is how well you manage it”
He believes that the squabbles has been settled, that is why we have this impressive turnout”.
While an owerri based legal luminary, Barrister Charles Okorafor said, “for sometime now we have had issues in the community but now it has been resolved and we are starting a fresh as a cohesive unit and entity and we believe that subsequently it is going to be bigger and larger than what we saw now”.
Concluding, he said that, “home coming for a lot of people has not been easy because of the economic downturn but for the fact that we can get this number of people , shows that more people will participate if the economy improves “.
Meanwhile, the councilor representing Umuhu Ward 9 in Ngor Okpala local government area legislature, Hon Chidinma Okorafor has commended the organizing committee for a job well done and appreciated Umuhu sons and daughters for “this show of oneness and togetherness, she believes that the year 2025 edition will be bigger in terms of the number of Umuhu indigenes and friends that will attend the occasion.
Highlights of the occasion includes cooking competition among the five villages that make up; Umuhu, Umueze, mbutu Okohia, Amankwu, Egbelu, Umuechem and Umuota.
Dancing competition by women groups from various villages, awards to some deserving sons and daughters and Unveiling of the 2025 Uhu cultural festival flex by the chairman of the occasion ,Hon. Ekenweke and the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Basil Anyanwu.See you at the UHU festival 2025.