By Stella Odueme
All Saints Igbo community at St Monica’s Catholic Church, Koroduma (Oneman) Village in Karu local government of Nasarawa state, on Sunday celebrated the 2025 new yam festival even as they launched a 20mllion Naira empowerment scheme for the less-privileged in the church and community.
Reeling cultural festivities synonymous with Igbo tradition via performance of Igbo women group, St Monica Catholic church, presentation of kolanut, palm wine libations by the Father of the Day, High Chief Barr. Michael Aniazoka, the celebration was indeed remarkable as sons and daughters of Igbo land, specifically from Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia adorned in their cultural regalia were present. Cultural foods and of course the traditional roasted yam with palm oil spiced with vegetables were on display.
The celebration equally witnessed the investitures of Igbo patrons and patronesses by the community chairman, Mr Charles Nwoko joined by the Father/Mother of the day, the Chief Launcher and the Parish Priest who gave opening prayer to kick-start the Celebrations.
Speaking at the commemoration ceremony on Sunday at the church’s premises, the Father of the Day, Chief Michael Aniazoka explained the significance of IWA JI cum new yam festival.
“It signifies so many things. For instance, it is a time for gratitude to God who makes yam to be
bountiful. Because the average Igbo man believes that he does not know what happens to the
yam in the ground while it was staying there.
Except that it does manuring, does weaning and other things. But the actual growth of yam,
maturity and everything is in the hand of an almighty God.
“So it is a time to show gratitude and
ask God for more favours.
It is also a time to enable people to come together from various places where they are to
socialize and connect to their roots.
“Sometimes we find people who do not go home for 10, 15
or 20 years. But during Iwa ji Festival, people are drawn from various
parts of the country and even outside the country to come and witness the events and know what it is.
“Again, the IWA JI Festival reminds us that… When you sow your yam, it becomes a way
to eat.
Saint Paul said it, he said, anybody who does not work, do not eat. In Igbo, if a lazy man covers himself with mud, what will he do? He is hungry.
So, it teaches us how to work.
“By extension, it is not just a family. How to work in everything we do. Trading and all that.
So, those are things that are actually important learnings for the Iwa iji Festival.”
The Father of the Day, urged sons and daughters of Igbo to back to their roots.
” Igbo land has to
go back to their roots. You see, there are things that are dying in our community.
Their language is not growing. People prefer to speak pidgin to their children. People prefer to
go to other places for vacations or something.
But, the moment the Igbo man realizes that there is something about heritage. Something you
inherited from your father. Something that is actually showing you a lot of lessons.”
“A lesson in not being lazy. A lesson in being hardworking. A lesson in understanding that there
is God.
So, it is a call for us to go back to our roots and connect with our ancestors. Because, St.
Michael is an ancestor. St. Joseph is an ancestor.
“That is the essence of getting us to understand that YAM Festival is not just about eating. And,
of course, one thing I forgot to mention. In Igbo land, YAM is seen as the king of all farm
products.
The king. That is why somebody is crowned king of all farmers, the greatest .”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the occasion and Chairman of Building Materials, Chief Christopher Ibeh explained that the day is celebrated annually.
He commended the Igbo community, Koroduma for the feat, especially for the fundraising to empower the people in the society.
“In fact, the fund is a scheme, it’s something
to help children and the people”
In his remarks, the Community Chairman, Mr Charles Nwoko also described the day as very importance to the Igbo culture.
“The Igbo community in
St. Monica’s Catholic Church, this day is very significant, a tripod event is what I will call it.
On the first leg, we are marking the New Year Festival, or Iwa Ji as the Igbos call it.
“On the
second leg, we have the investiture of our patrons and patronesses. And then the third leg is
the launching of our 20 Million Naira Empowerment Scheme, which we intend to use to support
our struggling members and the church.”
According to him, it
is very significant because it’s a way of thanking God, It’s significant that you thank God, appreciate him for sparing
you and keeping you from the time of planting to the time of harvest.
“These days, even though
we are very far away from home, we use this occasion to let particularly our friends and our
children, the upcoming generation, who are not at home, to know that in Igbo land there is
something like this.
And we believe that that will help to incorporate in them our tradition and our culture from
where we are coming from so that they will not lose track of where they are coming from.
“For our people who are not keeping to this message, particularly those who are supposed to be
part of us in St. Monica’s Parish, for them, we encourage them to come and join us because by
joining us, like with what we are doing today, they will be helping to not only keep to the
custom and tradition of their people, they will equally help in the development of their people
too.”
Highlights of the occasion was the Investiture of two patrons and two Patronesses namely, High Chief Ikechukwu Ijarakwe, Mr Donatus Nnakwu, Mrs Nkiruka Agwuncha and Mrs Esther Ugwu.
And the Launching of the N20m empowerment scheme where Igbo sons and daughters showed commitment to the cause despite heavy downpour.
