The Special Assistant to the Governor of Ebonyi State on Inter-Party Affairs, Comrade Sunday Nwambam has congratulated the people of the Izhi Nnodo clan as they celebrate their new yam (Ojiji) festival in the state and beyond.
Nwambam who described Ojiji as a festival of unity, urged Izhi people to sustain the culture owing to the fact it promotes peace, love, oneness and prosperity in their land.
According to him, the Ojiji festival has become an age-long celebration, marking the beginning of the new year in Izhi land, when new crops are being harvested but their king, yam is normally harvested to officiate the feast.
He noted the feast serves as an opportunity to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Izhi clan, where expression of love and unity among one another are always the colours of the day.
"May I use this opportunity to congratulate the good people of the Izhi clan as we are celebrating our rich cultural heritage, the Ojiji festival which signifies, our traditional new year for the harvest of new crops especially the king of all the crops, Yam?
"Ojiji festival is an annual celebration which encourages peace, love, unity and progress in our land.
"It is indeed an opportunity to refresh our minds with new ideas and innovations of advancing the cause of our celebration today, thereby, placing priority on our culture of hard work, food production and security, with all honesty and commitment towards signposting our socio-economic and cultural heritages to limelight at this time of the hardship across the nation.
"It is my prayer that the supreme custodians of our culture and traditions will continue to be reverend, as we progress as people, the peace and unity of land should be our top priority.
"I therefore commend His Excellency the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt Hon Builder Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru whose passion to transform the traditional rulership system attracted many development strides in every community in the state.
"His administration has brought an enabling environment, the reason, the Ojiji festival today is observed in the most received serene manner in Ebonyi State, particularly in Izhi land.
As we celebrate, may the new yam feast bring more succour, joy, peace, unity and prosperity to Izhi land.
Once again congratulations and kindly accept my hearty wishes!!!
