Ebonyi Lawmaker, Chinedu Ogah, Celebrates Izhi People During 2025 Ojiji Izhi Festival
By Kelechi Ugo
The Honourable Member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chief Chinedu Ogah, OON, has joined the people of Izhi Nnodo Ekumenyi in celebrating the 2025 Ojiji Izhi Festival, the clan's revered new yam festival.
In a goodwill message to mark the annual event, Chief Ogah lauded the significance of the Ojiji Izhi Festival as a vital cultural ceremony that reinforces community identity, spiritual reflection, and gratitude for a bountiful harvest.
He paid glowing tribute to the paramount traditional prime minister (Ishi-Uke) of Izhi Nnodo Ekumenyi, His Royal Majesty Elder Mbam Ngele Ogharu, for his leadership in preserving and promoting the Izhi cultural heritage.
Describing the festival as a symbol of cultural unity and spiritual dedication, Chief Ogah emphasized the festival’s sacred dedication to Njõkū/Iphéjiõké, the yam deity, and Àli, the earth goddess, both central to agricultural success in Igbo cosmology.
“The Ojiji Izhi Festival is not merely a celebration of yam harvest, but a spiritual and cultural reaffirmation. It honors our ancestors, celebrates the wealth of the land, and calls for blessings in the new planting season. Yams remain the ‘king of crops’ in Igbo land, symbolizing prosperity, sustenance, and peace,” Ogah said.
The federal lawmaker, who also chairs the House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, commended the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru (Onwa Oferekpe), for providing a peaceful and supportive environment that allowed for a colorful and successful festival.
Demonstrating his deep reverence for Izhi traditions, Chief Ogah participated in the festival’s grand finale held at Amegu Izzi, the ancestral home of Nnodo in Abakaliki. As part of his cultural homage, he presented a fat cow, several tubers of yam, and other traditional items in line with festival customs.
He extended warm felicitations to the Governor and his wife, Chief Mrs. Mary Maudeline Uzoamaka Nwifuru (Nneoha), and prayed for continued peace, development, and cultural pride in Ebonyi State.
The event drew dignitaries from across the country, including former governors Sen. David Nweze Umahi (represented by Hon. Kenneth Ugbala), Gov. Sam Ominyi Egwu, and Chief Martins Nwanchor Elechi. Also present were serving Senators, Members of the National Assembly, political appointees, traditional rulers, and thousands of celebrants from home and abroad.
The 2025 edition of the Ojiji Izhi Festival was widely described as a powerful display of unity, identity, and cultural resilience—further cementing the place of the Izhi clan within the broader narrative of Igbo tradition and Ebonyi heritage.
