Alphonsus Nweze
The ancient town of Onitsha will be agog as the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, is set to cebrate his 20th coronation (Iru-Ofala) at Ime Obi Onitsha come October 22/23, 2022.
During the occasion that is expected to attract prominent Nigerians like the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State and Dr. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Productivity, among others, the monarch will lead his subjects to thank God for his 20th anniversary on the throne.
Igwe Achebe ascended the throne of Eze Chima, 20 years ago on May 14, 2002, which coincidentally was his 61st birthday.
The Ofala as a festival dates back to about 700 years ago, at the time of Eze Chima and it is the high point of the Onitsha ceremonial cycle to thank God for a bumper harvest.
Ofala is an occasion to mark Obi’s emergence from seclusion and showcase himself to his people.
Four days before the festival, the Igwe goes into seclusion. He retreats to commune with his ancestors, and to thank them for protecting him and his subjects for the past one year as well as pray for peace and prosperity in the year to come.
On the day of the festival, the Obi makes three appearances:
After the early morning rituals, the trumpeters announce his entry before he emerges, fully dressed in his royal regalia, highlighted with the royal crown (okpu ododo), acknowledging cheers from the crowd that would have gathered by waving at all the directions to the people and then returns inside.
The term ofala, is derived from two Igbo words – Ofo (authority) and Ala (land).The festival is celebrated within two days mostly in October by the king or Obi.
Chief Mike Areh, the Onya Ozoma of Onitsha, and the Chairman of the Ofala Steering Commitee said “the Onicha Ado N’Idu community is looking forward to celebrating the 2022 Ofala in the normal way after two years in which the Covid-19 Pandemic put the festival on hold.
He continued: “we shall now move on with the process of getting the Ofala, to attain the status of a major event in Nigeria, and by extension in the West African cultural/tourism calendar.’’
Chief Areh commended Globacom and International Breweries Plc, the official sponsors of the Ofala.
He said that Globacom has been partnering with the Onitsha Traditional Council since 2011, adding that the relationship between these bodies and the Onitsha community has
contributed in no small measure to the growth and development of the Ofala.
He assured that enough security would be provided during the two days celebration.
Mr Michael Ehumadu, Globacom Regional Sales Manager, Enugu in his speech at the event said: “We are greatly delighted to be part of this year’s Ofala Festival celebration, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic prevented us from holding the festival in 2020 and 2021.”
He hinted that since Globacom signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to be the major sponsor of the prestigious event in 2011, it had always looked forward to partnering with the Palace and the Festival Planning Committee to ensure each year’s edition outstrips the previous years in grandeur and style.
“This is not just because of our commitment to preserving our rich cultural heritage, but it is also driven by our belief in the huge potentials of Ofala and other important festivals in boosting our tourism and travel industry,” he ended.
