In a ceremony held at the palace of the traditional ruler of Nri, Anaocha Local Government Area, Anambra State, His Majesty Ezenri Obidiegwu Onyesoh proclaimed the 1025th Igbo new year, known as Iguaro, as the ancestral celebration of the Igbo people.
Through the regent, Prince Ikenna Okechukwu Onyeso, the monarch traced the lineage of the Igbo race back to Nriifikwuanim, the first son of Eri, drawing parallels to biblical narratives. The proclamation highlighted the historical significance of EzeNri in shaping Igbo culture and traditions, including the introduction of market days, agricultural practices, and the establishment of societal structures like the Ozo title and age-grade system.
EzeNri’s legacy, as the custodian of Igbo culture and tradition, encompasses rituals such as the distribution of yam seedlings on Iguaro day, symbolizing the commencement of the planting season and invoking divine blessings for a bountiful harvest. The proclamation emphasized the cultural importance of Iguaro as a time for gratitude, reflection, and communal celebration, rooted in the lunar calendar and shared by cultures such as the Chinese and Israeli.
This cultural continuity underscores the resilience and reverence for ancestral practices within Igbo communities, reaffirming the role of Nri as the spiritual and cultural epicenter of the Igbo race.
Addressing the need for unity and cohesion among Igbo people, Chief Peter N.C. Umeadi, a Chieftain of the community and APGA presidential candidate, advocated for the consolidation of Iguaro, Ofala, and new yam festivals into a single-day celebration. This call for collective observance aims to foster solidarity and strengthen cultural identity across Igbo communities, with Nri being proposed as the symbolic venue for such gatherings.
IMAGE: Vanguard
