From Jeff Agbodo, Onitsha
Modernity has not diminished the reverence Igbo accord yam, seen as king of the crops. Home and abroad, they cerebrate, honour, perform sacrifice to gods and adore new yam during the harvest.
It is done before it is declared safe for eating. So, the eating of new yam goes with much enthusiasm, pomp and fanfare in every community, such that the festival has become one special feature of the Igbo.
In the olden days, it was said that anybody who ate the new yam before the necessary traditional sacrifices to the gods, died mysteriously. It was in line with this age-long Igbo cosmology that the traditional ruler of Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government, Anambra State, Igwe Alex Onyido (Ezechomuagha) recently celebrated the New Yam Festival otherwise known as Alo Muo.
The event attracted people from far and near; indigenes of the town, friends of the Igwe and other guests. It brought large crowds to the palace. Igwe Onyido kicked-off the programme with the breaking of kolanuts. He thanked God and the angles for bumper harvest and prayed for long life.
He followed it up with the cutting of roasted yam to mark the beginning of the eating of yam. He took the piece of yam and ate first with palm oil. His cabinet members, elders, women and youths followed suit. The next observance was the cutting and eating of chicken meat. This is done in Ogidi because chicken meat is also part of farm produce.
The ceremony later moved to the palace arcade where the four quarters in the community gathered in groups to cerebrate after paying homage to their monarch. Separately, the quarters presented the Igwe with various gifts including tubers of yam, cows, rams, goats and other farm produce. Others like corporate bodies, market associations and individuals also paid homage to the Igwe with their gifts.
As customary at Ogidi cultural events, there were spectacular displays by big and small masquerades from the various quarters of the community and their neighbours of Nkpor and Ogbunike.
Igwe Onyido said: “The essence of the celebration is that when we farm; we had a fortune, and our major crop is yam and yam is the head of the whole crops. Our forefathers gave the celebration of new yam ‘Alo Muo’, which means feeding and eating with the angles and the gods. The ceremony involves eating all the farm produce including chicken.
“Before today, no Ogidi man or woman should eat yam until I appease the gods and perform this ceremony before everybody will start eating yam in our community. We have to thank the land for another bumper harvest next year. In those old days, if you ate yam before today, you might die a mysterious death.
“My message to Ogidi people is that they should preserve our culture. It is during this type of festival that our people come home to celebrate, interact, see ourselves and help ourselves. I urge the youths to be lawful and to eschew all aspects of violence and grow in fear of God.”
President-General, Ogidi Union, Nigeria, Chief Chuka Onubugo, said: “Today is a special day. Every Ogidi person is supposed to be in the Igwe’s palace and bring his own yam to the Igwe as gift for a new season.
“The ceremony is only in the palace after which every Ogidi person will go home and start eating yam in his home after four market days based on the tradition.”
Others, including Chiefs Stephen Aniegbu (Omerora), Chinwe Onwuzulike (Akuchukwu) and Chief Vin Obi, agreed that the celebration brought their people together. They said the community would continue to uphold its rich cultural heritage and hand it over to their children and children’s children. They described Igwe Ogidi as a gift from God who came to salvage the traditions and the people from long bondage.
President, Ogidi Building Materials Association, Chief Jude Nwankwo, told Daily Sun that it was incumbent on them to felicitate with their host community on the auspicious occasion of its monarch’s New Yam festival. He said Ogidi people are peaceful, hospitable and always “enjoying the progress of others.” He prayed God to grant the Igwe and other indigenes long life and prosperity.