The glamour, glitz of Onitsha Ofala festival

It was a moment of pomp and glamour as the ancient city of Onitsha in Anambra State held its 18th annual traditional ofala festival. The Anambra commercial city was agog with excitement on the 11th and 12th October 2019 with several cultural activities as its traditional ruler, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, celebrated his ofala festival. […]

It was a moment of pomp and glamour as the ancient city of Onitsha in Anambra State held its 18th annual traditional ofala festival.

The Anambra commercial city was agog with excitement on the 11th and 12th October 2019 with several cultural activities as its traditional ruler, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, celebrated his ofala festival.

The festival, which started on October 5 with Onitsha City Marathon, proceeded with an Art Exhibition on the 9th and a youth carnival on October 10, 2019. The carnival attracted people from all walks of life.

The ofala is said to be rooted in the deep spirituality of the Onitsha people and is the highpoint of the Onitsha ceremonial cycle. It is primarily a celebration by the monarch and his subjects to mark the monarch’s annual emergence from seclusion, during which period he has successfully negotiated the fortunes of the kingdom. The festival also marks the homecoming of Onitsha indigenes.

The actual ofala is the display of royal dances, tributes, parades and music which spanned two days.

The celebration was a good testimony of the cultural heritage of the Onitsha community as well as those of settler communities within the town.

The event was designed to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Onitsha people.

It is said that there are two types of Ofala – the annual ceremony, attracting friends from other communities. In this festival, the monarch usually takes stock of his activities within the year, while the second usually takes place at the death of the king.

This year, the Igwe, apart from celebrating the rich cultural heritage of his people, used the occasion to thank his ancestors for giving them long lives and to launch some community development programmes.

During the Ofala proper, inside the Igwe’s palace, men and women of various ages danced to the beat of traditional drummers and beating.

The climax of the festival was the Igwe’s grand entrance in royal regalia adorned with crown and beads, dancing in his royal procession.

The Igwe was ushered into the arena, accompanied by his queen and traditional trumpeters. This royal dance is usually the highlight of the ofala festival.

He was also followed by the red-capped chiefs in their traditional regalia, each arriving independently and accompanied by their community drummer.

The chiefs then proceeded to the Igwe’s seat in order of seniority, paying homage.

The rhythm and beats during the occasion changes per their respective titles and positions.

According to Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the annual event was aimed at appreciating God for his protection throughout the year.

However, he lamented the decay in social values fuelled by unemployment among the youths which have led to increased corruption, cultism, drug addiction, armed robbery and called for urgent measures to curb this malaise.

He further disclosed that the Ofala has been endorsed by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, the apex tourism Regulatory Agency in the country as a major Nigerian Festival

“Henceforth, Onitsha ofala festival will be a tourist centre for the whole world,” he said.

He warned against, drug addiction, cultism and violence, stating that the youth as the hope of the nation must be meaningfully engaged.

He commended the state and federal governments for their commitments towards the development of the state but stressed the need for more improvement.

Igwe Achebe commended Gov Willie Obiano for all his people-oriented programmes and policies, especially his effective security, educational and Agric development initiative, which had yielded positive dividends to the people of the ancient kingdom.

President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by the Minister for Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, commending  Igwe Achebe for sustaining the Ofala festival, disclosed that the federal government has concluded plans to build a coastal rail line in Onitsha by 2020.

He also noted that the federal government in its bid to develop the South East has embarked on several developmental projects in the area of road construction, erosion control as well as other infrastructure.

Specifically, he said the ongoing construction work on the second Niger Bridge project, as well as Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, are progressing rapidly and the contractor had assured that the project would be completed before the scheduled date.

Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano represented by his deputy Dr. Nkem Okeke congratulated Onitsha people for upholding the tradition of their forefathers and for the display of their rich cultural heritage.

He commended Igwe Achebe for his dedication in upholding the people’s cultural heritage and sustained the development of human resources in his domain, especially among youths.

The Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Honorable Uchenna Okafor, while felicitating with the Onitsha monarch, advised traditional rulers across the South-East states to contribute positively towards preserving the Igbo culture.

Also speaking, the traditional ruler of Nibo, Eze Michael Ngene, said Igwe Achebe has remained outstanding in his dealings with Igbo culture and urged the younger generation to emulate him and keep the flag flying very high.

He prayed for longevity for Obi Achebe to continue to uphold the culture and traditions of Ndi Igbo.

President-General of Onitsha Town Union, Sir Chike Ekweogwu, said the Ofala was an annual event which allows people to pay homage to their Igwe by thanking him for his good works.

He thanked God for the success of the event, urging members of the community to become apostles of peace and love.

The member representing Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) Abuja, Mrs. Olive Onono, said they were in Onitsha to set up a Complaint Desk because there were many pensioners from Onitsha community.

“Our coming will also help pensioners who missed the nationwide verification to come for theirs,” she said.

She noted that in all communities in Igboland, Onitsha has more pensioners than other communities.

Dignitaries at the occasion include the Anambra State Deputy Governor Dr Nkem Okeke; Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr Chris Ngige, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari; Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed; Minister of State, Environment, Ms Sharon Ikeazor; and traditional rulers from different communities in Anambra and beyond.