By Chiedu Uche Okoye

IS Obosi not a well-known town in the Southeast of Nigeria? Obosi, which is in Idemili North L.G.A of Anambra State, is the home town of many distinguished Nigerians, who have reached the acme in their chosen and respective careers. Five villages make up Obosi town.

Obosi, which is bordered by these towns, namely Nkpor, Oba, and Onitsha, has existed for centuries. And it has been maintaining friendly relations with its neighbours. But, in the past, it fought wars with Onitsha over land.

Today, the mere mention of the name, Obosi, evokes fond memories of individuals, who have achieved distinction in their careers and endeavours. Obosi is the natal and home town of such personages as Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a former Commonwealth Secretary General; Chief Osita Chidoka, a former Nigerian Minister of Aviation; Chief Mike Ajaegbo, a one-time senator in Nigeria; the late Chief Chimezie Ikeazor, a legal luminary and founder of Legal Aids in Nigeria; the late Ogidi Ibeabuchi, footballer par excellence; and others I will not list here for the reason of space.

In addition to being the home town of notable people, it has diverse cultural practices, one of which is the Ito Ogbo Obosi Cultural Practice. Again, the masquerade cult, which is one of the cultural practices in Obosi, has survived till date in the face of globalisation, which has caused the obliteration of many cultural practices in towns in Nigeria. And the traditional marriage system, which is part of our culture, is still being practised in the ancient Obosi town. Till now, marriage partners are spliced by the performance of traditional marriage rites.

However, the periodic Ito Ogbo Obosi Cultural Festival has remained the grandest cultural festival, which is performed and celebrated in Obosi town. It dates back to over five hundred years ago. Down the ages, the custodians of Obosi culture, who are well-schooled in the cultural practices of Obosi, have always upheld and sustained the Ito Ogbo Obosi Cultural Festival. Over the years, it has been modernised as culture is dynamic, and not static.

But what is Ito Ogbo Obosi Cultural Festival? It is a group’s collective celebration of their 80th birthday based on the Age Grade system of hierarchy of age. In Obosi kingdom where the festival originated, members of an Age Grade, who have reached eighty years, are eligible to participate in the festival.

The periodic festival, which takes place every three years, is celebrated by octogenarians, who profess diverse religious faiths. The festival is designed to accommodate people of diverse religious faiths.

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So, in a nutshell, the Ito Ogbo Obosi Cultural Festival is a town’s reverencing of God for blessing its people with longevity. Against the background of low life expectancy in Nigeria, the Obosi people’s commemoration and celebration of the birthdays of Oldies on a special day is a commendable cultural initiative.

More so, Ito Ogbo Obosi Cultural Festival has become a period of mass-return by Obosi people, who live in the Diaspora and places other than Obosi town. During the period, they will return home to demonstrate their affection for their relations, who are celebrating the cultural practice. Others who cannot return home to participate in the festival do remit money to their aged ones to aid them financially in the celebration of the festival.

Again, the Ito Ogbo Obosi Cultural Festival has become a unifying tool in the town. It is an instrument for the enthronement of peace and unity in the town in the sense that those for whom the cultural birthday bash is being thrown will bury their differences and participate in events leading to the grand festival. Because the people are divided by kingship, land, and political matters, the collective celebration of birthdays on a single day by octogenarians amidst throwing of parties, delivering of lectures and display of dances has become a unifying factor in the town.

Now, we are not unaware of the stark fact that peace and unity is a force and sine qua non for the rapid development of a town. Nigeria, which is a federal state, has three tiers of government. Alongside other systems of governments, the federal structure makes for rapid development of towns. So, if a cultural practice like Ito Ogbo Obosi can sow the seed of peace and unity in the town, it should be preserved as unity is an incentive for the development of towns.

Now, in the midst of the ravaging effects of COVID-19 pandemic, the Obosi people are making elaborate preparations for the celebration of Ito Ogbo Obosi Cultural Festival 2021. The various sub-committees, which are under the main committee, are saddled with tasks, which are designed to make the celebration of the festival successful. And the grand cultural festival will take place in accordance with COVID-19 safety protocol to mitigate the spread of the deadly disease.

The March 6, 2021 Ito Ogbo Obosi Cultural Festival will feature many events like football matches, beauty pageantry, lectures, and the crowning of the octogenarian celebrants with red caps by the traditional ruler of Obosi, Igwe Chidubem Iweka. And the Ito Ogbo brochure, which will contain the pictures of the octogenarians, will be sold at Obosi stadium during the festival. The brochure will contain pieces that will give intellectual and historical illumination and insight on the festival. It will be an expose on the festival, too.

Today, nobody can gainsay the fact that Ito Ogbo Obosi is non pareil among other cultural places and festivals, which are celebrated in the entire Igboland. Beyond being a grand cultural event that reverences God for blessing Obosi people with long life, it gives us the opportunity, as a people, to interact with one another, bury our differences, and think out ways to ignite and expedite the development of the town.

The celebrants will be exempted from paying mandatory community levies after the Ito Ogbo Festival. And they will not participate in communal activities that are physically taxing. In a country where people drop dead like flies owing to our parlous economy, non-existence of quality medical facilities, and the issues of banditry, insurgence, terrorism, and kidnaping, it is a great feat for one to enter the octogenarian club. And one’s entrance into the club calls for celebration.

Okoye, a poet and social commentator, wrote from Uruowulu- Obosi, Anambra state

Vanguard News Nigeria