By Chukwujekwu, Ilozue, Awka and Cyprian Ebele, Onitsha
The native week-long ‘Nwafor’ festival celebrated by Ogidi community in Idemili North local government ended last weekend in fanfare as Ogidi citizens feted their friends, business associates and well-wishers.
The chief priest of Nwafor, Chief Felix Obika traced the origin of the festival to last century when an only daughter of Inwele, Ogidi’s progenitor requested that she be remembered through the Nwafor festival.
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Myths have it that Inwele’s only daughter, Amokwe did not marry and when she died, she was forgotten in Ogidi. When she lived, myths have it that she was the one who usually received back arms and ammunition of Ogidi’s children after each war they waged.
So, the daughter appeared to Ogidi and requested that Nwafor be celebrated in her honour to keep her memory alive.
According to Obika, ‘it happened that Ogidi’s daughter died. She was forgotten. But she appeared to her father and lamented that she had been forgotten and requested that a memorial be made for remembrance. She requested that Nwafor be celebrated in her remembrance and that only an unmarried woman or widow should carry her. For that reason Ogidi decided to honour her during planting season and Nwafor festival commences on the first ‘Afor’ Market day of July every year”.
Nwafor became such a famous festival that there is a folklore Obika narrated about a convict known as Okeleke Anakwudo who was serving prison term somewhere and during one of the Nwafor festivals, he miraculously disappeared from prison and came to Ogidi to celebrate Nwafor.
After the celebration, Obika continued. Anakwudo returned, reported back to prison authorities to resume his prison term but prison authorities seeing his humility decided to discharge him and he came back home to Ogidi, a free man.
Obika said that on ‘Oye’ day during Nwafor festival, young men from the age of 10 years are initiated into manhood. This year, he said, a total of 300 people were initiated.
During Nwafor, he said further, wealthy sons and daughters of Ogidi come back home to celebrate. It is also a period of merry making and for people to building houses and engage in other development programmes. Age grades also hold their meetings during the festival.
Chief Priest of the Inwelle Shrine, (Ezechuamuagha) Chief Felix Obika
Proactive Measure By Security Operatives, Leaders Stall Killings During Nwafor Ogidi Festival –Masquerade Restricted To The Interior
The dreaded week-long annual Nwafor Festival of Ogidi Community, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, to the dismay of most people ended without any record of deaths which for about a decade is unheard of sequel to the proactive measure put in place by security operatives and leaders of the community.
Addressing newsmen on why there was no record of casualty figure, the President General of the Red Cap Chiefs, Kingsley Anyaegbunam Ndilika hinted that the community through it’s President General, Dr. Eric Obiakor, warned dreaded and troublesome masquerades to steer clear of major roads, avoid harassing, assaulting women and strangers days to the commencement of the festival.
He said it was also agreed that non indigenes of the community would be barred from participating in the masquerading to help identify the devil reincarnate.
“We have also our members on white attire who patrol the roads to find out masquerades and persons who may flout the order so that such persons would face the wrath of the law”, he stated.
Flanked by the Chairman of Tradition, Chief Emeka Nwobi and Financial Secretary of the Red Cap Chiefs, Chief Daniel Enendu, Chief Ndilika described Nwafor Festival as the highest of all celebrations in the area stating that it is a period of cultivation and preparation for harvesting of farm produce about December.
He commended Governor Willie Obiano, the Police in Ogidi and other Security Operatives for the proactive measures which resulted in the peaceful ceremony adding that the Governor has been able to sack criminals out of the state.
It would be recalled that the Chief Priest of the Inwelle Shrine, (Ezechuamuagha) Chief Felix Agbata and his Legal Adviser, Barr Pat Agbata had earlier called for peaceful celebration of the festival and warned that troublemakers would be dealt with.
They reiterated that the event is for reunion as it is a period of mass return.
The Ogidi Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Hassan Musa and the Commander, Idemili North and South Surveillance Vigilance Group, Mr. Arthur Ilongwu, told newsmen that their men were sent to flashpoints and patrol vehicles worked round the clock, before, during and after the festival in concert with the community leaders which resulted in hitch-free Nwafor Festival.
Chairman of Ofuobi Age Grade Umuru Ogidi, Chief Chris Onwudiwe, Dr. Peter Nwabueze and Mr. Eric Okafor, hinted that there was nothing fetish about Nwafor Festival as it is a period of reunion, interaction and merry-making.
According to them with the level of education and awareness, now people have come to realize that it is for interaction.
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