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By Henry Uche
It was a celebration of peace, unity and cultural values of the people of Uratta, in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, during the annual Onwa Oru cultural festival, which took place in Lagos recently.
The annual festival, which holds in Owerri in February, is also organised in Lagos to mark a period of rest from the toils of the previous year and in preparation for the next farming season.
Tradition demands that, during the festive period, which usually spans several weeks before the festival, the natives are prohibited from divorce, fighting, quarreling and demanding debts. Conversely, old scores are settled by the elders during this season.
In recent times, the cultural event has been used to preach the message of preserving Igbo cultural heritage and identity, as well as the need to embrace peace and unity for socio-economic progress of the people and society.
Organised by the Uratta Development Association (UDA), Lagos branch, the 2022 edition of the festival focused on the need for people to rise up to the occasion when they are called upon to preserve the cultural values of the community.
Charles Obinna, president of UDA, Lagos, said the group has put in place measures to preserve Igbo language and other Igbo identities, as they marked the day in grand style.
According to Obinna, “This festival is unique. It’s a period when we appreciate the Almighty God, congratulate and reward ourselves for our labour, a time to reconnect with one another, and a time to fix a lot of anomalies. It has been performed at home and we are doing it here in Lagos. It marks the beginning of the farming season at home, while those of us in urban cities strive to excel in our various trades.”
On his part, the vice-president of UDA and chairman of the organising committee, Chibueze Uche, affirmed that the festival represented a season of consecration: “We call this period a fattening period. A time when our single daughters are taken care of for three months, thereafter, they are presented to the world and prospective husbands at this occasion,” Uche explained.
The festival, which dates back to ancient time, symbolises the social norms and rich cultural heritage of the people.
The colourful festival, held at St. Jude’s Catholic Church, Mafoluku, Lagos, was embellished with a lot of cultural shows, as the eight clans that make up Uratta took turns to showcase their rich cultural values in a procession.
The clans, Umualum (head and custodian of ofor na opi Ndichie), Umuorii, Okwu, Umuoba, Owala, Owaelu, Umunahu and Orji, in order of seniority, were seated in their respective stands, relishing assorted food and drinks in style. They were ecstatic in their colourful regalia.
Every community came with food and drinks for not only themselves but also for guests and visitors, even for uninvited persons. Guests were treated to sumptuous delicacies.
On the occasion, friends and well-wishers from adjoining towns like Emekuku, Emii, Awaka, Egbu, Uzoagba and Amatta, among others, were there to felicitate the people of Uratta.
One of the highlights of the event was a wrestling match among men, one from each community.
Women’s groups also took turns to dance in their uniforms, while the elders performed some traditional rites. One of such rites was the presentation of goat legs to the daughters of the soil, single and married alike.
The elders of the last seven communities paid homage to elders of the eldest community, Umualum.
The haves doled out some money in different denominations to different dance groups in appreciation and admiration. Young and vibrant men handled the ogene (gong) and other musical instruments. They sang, drummed, played and the people danced to the rhythm of their songs.
According to oral tradition, some of the ancient practices that used to be part of the festival but were believed to be fetish have been abolished. But the new face of Onwa Oru is even more exciting.
