Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The Ogidi Community in Idemili North local government area of Anambra state has ban masquerades along the major roads in the area during the four-day ‘Nwafor festival’ in the community.
The President-General of Ogidi Union Nigeria, High Chief Jideofor Chuka Onubogu who disclosed this said that the ban was inline with the state government law that no masquerade should be paraded long the roads to avoid harassment of road users and free flow of traffic.
He said that the festival which will mark the end of farming season in the community would last for four days starting from Thursday 23rd night initiation of boys into manhood and ends on Sunday July 26, 2020 with full observance of COVID-19 protocols.
The president general warned that non-indigenes should not participate in any masquerade activities to avoid clash, stressing that any masquerade seen on the roads would be arrested as security operatives would be on the roads to arrest the defaulters.
Onubogu also warned cultists to steer clear from the festival, saying that no form of violence activities would be tolerated during the festival and urged parents to advise their children to avoid, had I known.
According him, “The government has made law that masquerade should not be on the roads and they should obey that. Masquerade don’t beg money on the road in our community, it is a taboo in our community because it is a spirit and should not beg human beings money”.
“So if we catch anybody doing that we will arrest him and hand him over to the disciplinary committee set up by the committee and security agents. So, I am advising them to be peaceful, less alcohol, no violence and those who are not participating should leave the arena. The youths should not wield weapons like gun, knives etc. let us manage ourselves very well so that the ceremony we will all be live to see next the season”
“No cultism during the ceremony, we don’t blend cultism with “Nwafor Ogidi festival”. Ogidi has said no to cultism and we have zero tolerance to cultism, let every parents warn their children. We have security personnels to include police, Civil Defense, DSS and Vigilante groups on ground to arrest anybody or group of persons that will cause crisis during the festival”.
On COVID-19 pandemics, he said: “we are making arrangement to provide enough face masks to be distributed free of charge to the members of community and visitors to protect themselves and we have set up committee to make ensure that every other protocols would be observed during the festival.