From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lai Mohammed, has said the ministry will upgrade to national festival the ‘Ito Ogbo’ longevity festival of Obosi in Idemili North local government Area of Anambra State.
Mohammed said the ministry would also initiate the process of getting festival enlisted into the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.
The minister who disclosed this during the festival at the weekend commended the Obosi kingdom for the age long festival that celebrates the elderly and honours octogenarians in the community.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Dr. Mrs. Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, Mohammed said the ministry was determined to diversify the nation’s economy and more importantly make cultural and tourism an alternative to oil as a source of revenue to the country.
There is no doubt that this festival has impacted hugely on the health and quality of lives of people of Obosi and its environs. Ito Ogbo Obosi is a unique and uncommon festival that celebrates and encourages longevity whereby our indigenous Obosi senior citizens both male and female who are 80 years old and above are inducted, capped and officially received into the prestigious octogenarians age grade.”