The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Stephen Uchenna Igwe, has declared a new era of unity, reconciliation and collective purpose among the people of Idembia Ishieke village in Ndiebor Autonomous Community in Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state.
Igwe made the declaration on Friday while addressing journalists at the Idembia Ishieke central playground, popularly known as ancient Eze-Eduphu Idembia Ishieke during activities marking the 2026 Ojiji Izhi (Izhi New Yam Festival).
The commissioner described Ojiji Izhi as a significant cultural institution that transcends celebration, saying the annual festival provides the Izhi people with an opportunity to reconcile differences, reconnect with their ancestral roots and mobilise for collective development.
According to him, the festival marks the beginning of a new year in the traditional calendar of the Izhi people and offers an avenue for members of the community to review the past, strengthen existing bonds and chart a common course for the future.
“Ojiji Izhi is one of the symbolic activities that Izhi people do not play with. It is a moment of reconciliation; it is a moment of coming together to form a formidable force for achieving our purpose and aspirations in the new year,” Igwe said.
He explained that the choice of the Eze-Eduphu playground for the community’s August Meeting was deliberate, noting that the venue represented the ancestral and historical roots of the Ishieke people.
“This is where Ishieke people started before migrating to Benue axis. This is their central playground, and in our local dialect, it is called Eze-Eduphu Idembia Ishieke. It is the biggest playground as far as Ishieke Mgbomeze Dynasty is concerned,” he said.
Igwe said the decision to return to the ancestral playground was aimed at preserving the community’s history and transmitting its cultural heritage to younger generations.
He added that the festival and associated cultural activities had continued to bring people together across various sections of the community, stressing that sports, traditional gatherings and other activities had created platforms for interaction and reconciliation.
The commissioner further disclosed that Idembia Ishieke had experienced periods of division in the past but expressed optimism that the renewed spirit of togetherness would usher in a new chapter in the community’s history.
“Idembia Ishieke is known for unity and one purpose. At a time, we were divided, but God helped us through our prayers, and today being our new yam festival day, we are united again. We have come together,” he said.
He described the development as a significant turning point, saying the community had collectively embraced the identity of a “new Idembia” after overcoming differences that had weakened its cohesion.
“This is New Idembia Ishieke. It is not that Idembia Ishieke is named again today. It has been the Idembia we have always known, but because we summoned ourselves, talked to ourselves and understood ourselves, God answered our prayers and we came together again. That is why we named ourselves New Idembia,” Igwe stated.
The commissioner urged the people to guard the renewed unity jealously and resist attempts by individuals or groups to exploit differences for selfish interests.
He noted that the community had lost opportunities in the past as a result of disunity, adding that sustained cooperation remained essential to achieving meaningful development.
Igwe also expressed confidence in the strength and resilience of the Idembia people, recalling their longstanding reputation for courage and solidarity.
“I pray that God will sustain this spirit. I pray that God will help us understand that we have lost so many things in the course of being scattered and in the course of listening to people who did not want us to come together,” he said.
He called on the people to sustain the reconciliation beyond the festival, stressing that cultural celebrations should translate into lasting peace, unity and development.
Igwe thanked journalists and other stakeholders for their support and urged them to join the community for the grand finale of the 2026 Ojiji Izhi celebration schedule for Saturday 29th August 2026, which, according to him, would further demonstrate the renewed spirit of unity among the people, their neighborhoods and beyond.
