The Ime Obi Onitsha (the Palace of the Obi of Onitsha), Igwe Alfred Achebe, has formally announced the date and theme for this year’s annual Ofala Festival.

The announcement is contained in a statement signed by the Chairman, Ofala Strategic Marketing and Communications Subcommittee, Mr Nnaemeka Maduegbuna, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Onitsha, on Monday.

According to the statement, the festival will hold on Friday, October 16, with the theme: “Igba mbo Iga n’iru” (meaning, to strive and advance from resilience to progress).

It further quoted the Onya of Onitsha, Chief Okechukwu Areh, who is the Chairman, Ofala Festival Steering Committee, as saying that the theme reflects the collective spirit of the Onitsha people.

“Igba mbo, Iga n’iru captures our collective resolve from resilience to progress and this theme calls every Onitsha indigene to strive forward and advance our heritage and future together,” Areh said.

The statement further stated that the Ofala festival is rooted in deep spirituality, and marks the highpoint of the Onitsha ceremonial cycle.

It also added that the festival is primarily a celebration by the Onitsha monarch and his subjects of the Obi’s annual emergence from seclusion, during which the monarch has successfully negotiated the fortunes of the Onitsha Kingdom.

“The festival also re-enacts the joy shared by the monarch and his people at the discovery that yam is non-toxic and remains a valuable source of food.

“It also serves as a rite of renewal for the Obi and a renewal of the bond between the royal throne and the people of Onitsha,” the statement added.

It further stated that “while also retaining its essence as an annual traditional and ritual obligation, the Ofala festival has equally evolved into a major festival encompassing many events”.

It listed some of the festival’s events to include an international art exhibition, the Ofala Youth Carnival and the Ofala Medical Health and Wellbeing Community Outreach. (NAN)

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