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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
South East traditional rulers have restated the ban on centralised ceremonies in the the zone in honour of the late President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu and other prominent Igbo sons and daughters who died recently.
A statement by the Chairman, South East Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Emmanuel Okeke, noted that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is also in support of the ban which also honours the late songstress, Onyeka Onwenu, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, immediate past minister of Science and Technology and Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.
Okeke explained that going ahead with such ceremonies in the zone during the mourning period would have amounted to ridiculing of Ndigbo.
He said: “Considering the weight of what happened in losing such important Igbo leaders within the same space of time and the pains it has elicited across the broad spectrum of the Igbo society, it is deemed necessary to cancel various events and ceremonies earlier scheduled to commemorate the annual Igbo New Yam festival for 2024, which usually involves Ohanaeze Ndigbo, state governments, traditional rulers and other key stakeholders of Igbo extraction.
“It would have amounted to self ridicule and obvious insensitivity to Ndigbo if we had continued with such a centralised gathering to merry when it is expected of us to mourn and be sober over our calamitous loss of top Igbo leaders,” Okeke stated.
Meanwhile, Okeke who is also the Imo State Chairman of the Traditional Rulers’ Council, has expressed his disappointment on a traditional ruler from Abia State, Eze Ofoegbu whom he said, had slated a new yam ceremony despite the warning on the ban by the South East monarchs.
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“It is surprising that upon this calamitous development and decisions taken to abstain from celebrations of any type within the mourning period, some businessmen led by a certain traditional ruler, Eze Ofoegbu from Abia State, congregated to a jubilant group by fixing/scheduling for the so called Igbo New Yam festival coming up soon which is an aberration and outright deviation from the designed mourning arrangement for our departed heroes.
“The said Eze Ofoegbu is neither a chairman of local government council of traditional rulers, an executive member of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, nor an executive member of the South East Council of Traditional Rulers.
“One wonders his source of power or authority to convoke Igbo New Yam festival and confer chieftaincy titles and awards which amounts to flouting the directives of constituted authorities in Igboland and disrespecting our sacred culture and traditions.
“It is in the light of the foregoing, therefore, that the South East Council of Traditional Rulers wishes to reaffirm its stand on the subsisting ban on all manner of centralised gathering of Ndigbo to celebrate, in whatever guise, whether New Yam festival or Igbo Day, since tears are still flowing from our eyes and the mourning period for these departed leaders is not yet over.
“We shall consider whoever that violates or attempts to breach this sacred decision as a great enemy of Ndigbo and may go further to request for explanations if such a recalcitrant person or group knows what happened to these great men and woman that transited at our most difficult time, when their presence obviously mattered most.
“The South East Council of Traditional Rulers solicits for the cooperation and understanding of all stakeholders on this very important issue that demands unalloyed support and total compliance,” Okeke said
