Ọmaba Umualor:The Biggest Cultural Festival in Isi-Uzo By: James Onyebuchi Nnaji

Ọmaba Umualor:The Biggest Cultural Festival in Isi-Uzo 

By James Onyebuchi Nnaji 

The only cultural element that easily brings Umualor and  her neighbours together every two years is the Ọmaba Festival.

Though some overzealous christians have done great damage to this festival,it seems to be witnessing a revival and a resurgence especially among the younger generations.

Ọmaba is central to UMUALOR traditional life as the annual calendar and other feasts are determined by Ọmaba and Ijogwu feast circles.

Year of Ọmaba,Ahọ Ọmaba,begins on the fourth moon,Orie Ajụ ijogwu, when Oriọkpa comes like a harbinger to announce the homecoming of Ọmaba from the three-sister villages.All types of sophisticated artifacts and designs come on display beginning with Umuezeogbu,then moving to Umuezuboke in the afternoon and ends at Aliyi in the evening.There is always increase in spectators,worshippers every year.

Nlata Ọmaba Festival is the biggest cultural festival in the entire Isiuzo Local Government Area today and one of the most celebrated in Enugu state. 

There's no other cultural fiesta in Isiuzo today that is wildly accepted and uncannily followed by the people up to the  present day than Ọmaba Umualor Festival.

Aside its religious importance in Umualor,it's also an untapped cultural tourism that could be harnessed for entertainment and tourism.

The 29th day of January 2024 is another round in the calendar and promises to stir the entire neighborhood for days.It is unfortunate and  sad that Igbo traditional festivals like the Ọmaba Umualor have been demonized so much instead of been cherished as a historical heritage that reflects people's mythic thought and traditional theology.

Masquerade display is a great social theatre that is practiced almost in every culture.

It's expected that the time has come when community leaders and cultural promoters drew the attention of government (State tourism agencies and Isiuzo Local Government council) to this mega event and utilise it to bring spotlights on Umualor and it's potentials for resilience and development challenges.

Celebration of inherited cultures solidifies peoples belief in whom they are and what they can accomplish.Come and witness artistic display in its pristine best and watch masquerades come forth from the sacred pantheon of Ọmaba drawing hysterical ecstatcy among jubilant crowd.

Pastor Allegedly Kills Pregnant Wife For Rituals

Pastor Allegedly Kills Pregnant Wife For Rituals

A pastor, Abiodun Sunday Oluwadare, has been arrested by the police for allegedly killing his pregnant wife, Tosin Oluwadare, in Ido-Ile in Ekiti West LGA of Ekiti State.

Spokesman of the State Police Command, DSP Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the arrest, said that investigation was ongoing.

It was gathered that the pastor popularly known as Araina, strangled Tosin to death for ritual purposes at about 9pm on November 19, 2023.

According to reports, the suspect was caught with the corpse on his way out of the town to go and evacuate the foetus from her womb without her parents approval before he was stopped at Ita-Ido. From there he was taken to the police post in Ido-Ile and later to Ekiti West District Police and later transferred to the homicide section of the State command.

It was further learnt that the pastor, a former herbalist, was posted to a Christ Apostolic Church in Ori-Oke, Ido Mountain, Ekiti West, where he was once expelled for allegedly kidnapping a child.

A step-brother of the deceased, Mr. Samuel Ibironke, also confirmed the incident.

“After killing my sister, he called my wife who is a health worker to come and assist him, only for my wife to get there and discover that he strangled my sister to death,” Samuel explained.

Reacting to the killing, the traditional ruler of the community, Oba Aderemi Obaleye, condemned the killing of the woman, saying, “It is a very sad development which nearly set the town on fire because the youths went on rampage in protest against the so-called pastor, “I want the authorities to investigate the matter and bring the culprit to book so as to serve as a deterrent to

Tears As 23-yr-old EBSU Student Dies In A Car Crash While Allegedly Being Chased By Police

Tears As 23-yr-old EBSU Student Dies In A Car Crash While Allegedly Being Chased By Police 

A 300-level student of Ebonyi State University (EBSU), identified as Ayogu Evans, has di£d in a ghastly car cra§h. 

The student from the department of Sociology was allegedly being chased by the police when he had the accid£nt on Saturday afternoon, December 2, in Abakaliki.

He was driving alone when the tragic accid£nt occurred. He was subsequently rushed to the hospital where he sadly passed on a few hours later. 

“The people who brought him to the hospital confirmed that he was being chased by the police when he suddenly had an accid£nt.

The police officers that were chasing him ran away after he had the accid£nt but they later came back to carry his wrecked car to their station at Liberation Estate,” a source said.