Ezza-Ezekuna Indigenes in Imo Celebrate 2025 Oke-Aku Festival in Grand Style
By Kelechi Ugo
The residence of Chief Bartholomew Nwakpa in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, came alive on Sunday, July 27, 2025, as indigenes of Ezza-Ezekuna gathered to celebrate their annual New Yam Festival, popularly known as Oke-Aku.
The event attracted a host of dignitaries, including the former Chairman of the Ebonyi State People’s Forum and re-election hopeful, Chief Solomon Nwafor; the Forum's Patron, Chief Emmanuel Ejeje; the Secretary-General of the Ezza Indigenes Union (EIU), Engr. Emma Nwokwu; Chairman of the 2025 Oke-Aku Organizing Committee, Engr. Chigbogu Kizito Ekechi; and Chief Stephen Nwakpa, among others. Friends, well-wishers, and cultural enthusiasts also joined in the colorful celebrations.
The Ezza-Ezekuna people, one of the most ancient and influential subgroups of the Igbo ethnic group, trace their lineage to Ezekuna, the progenitor of the Ezza clan, and his wife, Anyigor. According to oral history, Ezekuna was the eldest son of Ekumenyi, the patriarch who also fathered Izzi and Ikwo—together forming the Umuekumenyi clan. Today, these clans are recognized as the foundational ethnic stock of the Abakaliki region in Ebonyi State.
Ezza people form one of the largest and most widely dispersed ethnic groups in the state, with a strong presence in six of Ebonyi's thirteen local government areas. Prominent in Ebonyi Central, and notably present in Ebonyi North and South, they also have significant settlements across Enugu, Benue, and Cross River States, as well as other parts of Nigeria.
The Ezza clan comprises 22 notable communities, including:
Umuezeokaoha
Umuezeoka
Umuoghara
Oriuzor
Ezzama
Amudo
Ameka
Amuzu
Amana
Amagu
Amaezekwe
Amawula
Nkomoro
Ogboji
Okoffia
Inyere
Ekka
Echara
Idembia
Nsokara
Abaomege
Ukawu
The Ezza also maintain a visible cultural presence in Effium (Ohaukwu LGA) and Ezillo (Ishielu LGA), underscoring their broad territorial reach and cultural cohesion.
The Oke-Aku Festival, often referred to as the Ezza New Yam Festival or "Nne Efi Oha", is the most important cultural celebration among the Ezza people. Held annually between July and August, it traditionally coincides with an Orie market day, and follows the ritual cleansing of family compounds.
As the eldest son in the Umuekumenyi lineage, the Ezza people are culturally recognized as the first to celebrate the New Yam Festival in Ebonyi State. The celebration marks the end of the planting season and the start of a new calendar year in Ezza tradition. Yam, revered as the king of crops, holds both agricultural and spiritual significance in Igbo cosmology.
The festival begins on the eve of Oke-Aku with a symbolic ritual called “Eke-Uwhu-Awha-Lunaa-Awha”, during which community members “send off” the old year and welcome the new. At midnight, households engage in drumming, horn blowing, and chants of “Ejo-Awha Laaoo!”, calling for the expulsion of misfortune and barren years.
On the main day, known as “Ishi-nééwhi-oha”, families gather at sacred spots in front of their homes to offer ritual items such as yam peels, palm kernel heads, chickens, and pepper. These are symbolic gifts to childless ancestors and protective measures against evil spirits (Ejo-maa).
Importantly, no new yam may be harvested, sold, or eaten before the Oke-Aku Festival is observed. Violating this tradition is believed to invite mystical retribution, including untimely deaths or misfortune. To avert these consequences, sacrifices are made at the shrine of Ezekuna in Amana, Onueke, where the revered grave, known as Nguji Ozo Ezekuna, is located.
This shrine remains a spiritual epicenter for Ezza descendants, many of whom make pilgrimages there to offer prayers for a prosperous new year.
For the Ezza-Ezekuna people, Oke-Aku is more than a cultural event—it is a spiritual journey, a thanksgiving ritual, and a reaffirmation of ancestral bonds. It is an occasion that renews communal identity and strengthens kinship ties. The festival continues to be a powerful symbol of unity for a people whose influence stretches across state boundaries.
As the 2025 celebration in Owerri demonstrated, the Ezza-Ezekuna community remains deeply committed to preserving their heritage. Through oral tradition, vibrant festivals, and communal solidarity, the Ezza people remain a cornerstone of Igbo civilization—industrious, proud, and enduring.
