By Don Peter Okoro.
A highly respected Community Leader, Grassroot Mobilizer, Member of Igwe Nnobi Royal Cabinet and Notable Political Stakeholder, Chief Barr. L.Chukwudi Ezenyi from Umuhai, Awuda Nnobi, Idemili South LGA of Anambra State, celebrated his New Yam( Iwaji) Festival in a most elaborate way on Monday the 2nd of October 2023 in the community.
He practically fed the whole community and beyond and even friends and relatives from outside the area came to felicitate with him. Barr. Ezenyi who retired from the Central Bank of Nigeria as an Assistant Director and now a Legal Practitioner In Lagos said that he does it every year to show the love he has for his people and as a matter of responsibility being the Ichie of his Community of Umuhai.
Speaking on the significance of the Iwaji Feast, he opened up:”In the olden days, our forefathers respected yam a lot. They saw yam standing for man and cocoyam for woman. For you to prove that you are a great man, you will show how many barns of yam you have and the number of children you have.
Every year we celebrate New Yam and every Ichie is expected to do so. Before Igwe will celebrate his own, we have what is called Ikpoji by Isiana Nnobi.
If Isiana does not do that, nobody in Nnobi can bring new yam and sell in Nnobi.What I have done today is to do my own Iwaji for my Ummuna which is Umuhai.
People like us see it as a day of sacrifice. Giving tubers of yam to women and cooking for the entire Community to come and eat gives joy. I can’t stop it, instead of stopping it I’ll rather borrow money to do it. That’s the essence of it.”. On people coming from far and near, he answered:”Yes it is open to friends and relatives both far and near. It is a time to celebrate and come together as one. I’m still asking God to give us that peace and I know he will do it.”. On his message to Nigerians, he offered:” Whenever I give my message to Nigerians, people say it’s because I’m playing partisan Politics.
But I thank God that I’ve traveled far and near. My message is that we should have confidence in this Government. My mind tells me that this Government will do better. There’s no society without hunger. There’s no society without crime. As a matter of fact, there are no crimes here. Go to New York City and you’ll see what is called crime.
Go to the United States and you’ll see what crime is all about. What I’m saying is that ours is not the worst. This country is ours and we should be patriotic.
Go to other countries and you’ll see the way people are suffering. Let us have hope in this Government. Not when some are trying to put things together, others are trying to pull things down. No, let us join hands to make things work. Thank you.”