By Chiedu Uche Okoye
Obosi is an ancient town, the origin of which dates to centuries ago. There are innumerable stories, legends, and myths woven about the origin of Obosi. But all the stories, legends, and myths about the town’s provenance has a common denominator or commonality: Obosi was founded by a fearless hunter, whose name was Adike. His bust was erected at the market, which was named after him – Afor-Adike-as a monument to the town’s halcyon days and historical past.
Obosi, which is a large town, is bordered by these towns, namely Nkpor, Oba, and Onitsha. It has a sprawling urban centre while its serene and tranquil inland town is the hub of cultural activities, and the abode of its traditional ruler, Igwe Chidubem Iweka (Eze Iweka (III). While its inland centre consists of Odume, Awada, Enekwasumpu, Oduke, and others, the Obosi inland town is composed of five villages, namely Umuota, Ire, Ugamuma, Mmakeum, and Uruowulu.
The name, Obosi, is evocative of great personages, who blazed the trails in diverse areas of human endeavours and contributed their quotas to our national development. Is Obosi not the home town of the brilliant international diplomat and a one-time secretary general of the commonwealth of nations, Chief Emeka Anyaoku ; and the founder of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, the late Chief Chimezie Ikeazor? Obosi is, also, the the home town of Nigeria’s former aviation minister, Chief Osita Chidoka (Ike Obosi). And we should not forget that Chief Mike Ajegbo, a former senator of the federal republic of Nigeria ; and the late Igwe Isaac Iweka, who was the first engineer in Igboland descended from families in Obosi.
But Obosi is a kingdom steeped in tradition and culture. Obosi people’s celebration of their diverse cultural festivals fosters a sense of oneness among them and deepens their unity. Their identity, as Obosi people, is forged in the crucible of their celebration of their distinct and uniquely different cultural festivals. Such cultural festivals include, but not limited to these, Agwu, Idemili, Olisa, Ito ogbo, Iwaji/Obiora festival, and others.
In today’s Obosi, the Iwaji/Obiora festival is a yearly cultural festival, which a majority of Obosi natives look forward to celebrating. The Iwaji and Obiora are conflated and celebrated as one festival on the same day. They have different significances and symbolisms, however.
Iwaji, as it is called in Obosi, is the Obosi people’s expression of thankfulness to God for blessing them with bountiful farm produce and plenitude of yams in the outgone farming season. The celebration of the Iwaji Obosi festival by the traditional ruler of Obosi is the ritual that heralds the eating of new yams by Obosi people. And the celebration of Iwaji by the traditional ruler of Obosi must precede other Obosi natives’ celebration of theirs.
And the Obiora is known as a period of peace. During the period of Obiora, it is expected that peacefulness will reign among Obosi people. So it is an abominable and detestable thing for an Obosi man to engage in a physical fight with his brother when it is the period of Obiora. Obosi people who violate that cultural stricture will be compelled to pay fine to appease the gods of the land.
Interestingly, Iwaji and Obiora festivals are conflated and celebrated as one festival. Now, Iwaji/Obiora Obosi festival is melding with modernity. The agelong Iwaji/Obiora festival, which is woven into the tapestry of Obosi town’s cultural festivals, is assuming a modernist hue. And as culture is dynamic, the Iwaji/Obiora Obosi festival is transforming to a hybridized cultural festival that conflates modern cultural trends and ancient traditional practices.
For example, unlike what obtained in the distant past, renowned personages, who belong to different ethnic and religious groups, attended the 2025 Iwaji/Obiora Obosi festival to show solidarity with the traditional ruler of Obosi, Igwe Chidubem Iweka (Eze Iweka III). The roll call of the attendees of the great event included the socialite and Oni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwunsi; the Etsu of Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar; former Nollywood star, Bobmanuel Udokwu; a coterie of Anambra state traditional rulers; and others.
More so, the Anambra state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, used the opportunity of his attending the festival to mount the soapbox to woo the electorate, obliquely and covertly. And the unobtrusive Mr. Peter Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election, entered the arena of the Iwaji/Obiora Obosi festival without fanfare. He was conducted round the stadium by Chief Osita Chidoka as he -Obi- exchanged greetings with other top dignitaries, who attended the event.
The yearly Iwaji/Obiora Obosi festival ought to be Obosi town’s internal affairs; however, the 2025 Iwaji/Obiora festival was relayed live to the international community, thereby showcasing Obosi town’s cultural heritage to the world. And sundry huminatarian foundations tasked with empowering the under-Priviliged people in the society got the opportunity to espouse their foundations’ objectives and goals.
Although the annual Iwaji/Obiora festival is fast transforming to a modern cultural festival, it has not been stripped of the cultural and traditional activities, which define it. Those activities, which are at the core of the Iwaji/Obiora festival, are still being carried out, painstakingly, by the custodians of the Obosi culture. That was the reason why Igwe Chidubem Iweka (Eze Iweka III), who is the chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers’ Council, fed twenty kids with roast yams dipped in sauce at the 2025 Iwaji/Obiora Obosi cultural festival.
And Igwe Chidubem Iweka dressed in a war gear and regalia reenacted the heroic deeds, which were executed by Obosi warrior-kings of yore. Rearing on his toes, as though about to pounce on an enemy, Igwe Chidubem Iweka made pretend threats to strike blows at imaginary foes. It was a riveting spectacle that told tales of Obosi town’s chequered history and glorious past.
The Iwaji/Obiora Obosi festival is a cultural festival that is assuming the hue of a modern festival without the extirpation of those cultural cum traditional activities, which are at the core of the festival.
Yours faithfully,
Chiedu Uche Okoye
Uruowulu-Obosi
Anambra state
08062220654
Okoye is a poet and civil servant.
Chiedu Uche Okoye, the writer of the piece
