The special event is shown by its style of celebration and the process which the new yam undergoes before it could be declared ripe for anybody in the community to consume.
Before the ceremony is completed, nobody in Abba, no matter his or her status, would eat the new yam until the traditional ruler in the presence of the elders and other members of the community have fully completed the annual ritual, which has no fetish practice attached.
The new yam festival is usually a two-day affair and because of its importance the natives of the community travel from far and wide to come home to observe and participate in the age-long festival which has indeed continued to increase in style and magnitude.
This year’s festival which was held on August 8 and 9 started with the actual eating of the new yam at the palace of the traditional ruler, Igwe (Sir) L.N. Ezeh (JP) and was attended by several dignitaries within and outside the community.
At about 2:30p.m on the first day, Igwe Ezeh performed the traditional cutting of roasted tuber of yam which signified his approval for the natives to begin to eat the new yam for 2014.
As he performed the role, those in attendance applauded the action and yams prepared in various forms were served to the people and they began to make merry.
In his remark while breaking the kolanut, Igwe Eze said that the new yam festival was a serious one in Abba, adding that the Abba community regarded yam as the king of all foods that are eaten in the town.
According to him, by the tradition of the town, no indigene of Abba is permitted to eat new yam until he has performed the ceremony which aimed at giving yam the respect it deserved.
The monarch said that the Abba community has lifted the status of the festival to accommodate several events such as honouring the oldest man and woman in the town, giving prizes to those who score best as yam farmers of each year competition, giving prizes to the best dancers, best pupil in all the primary and secondary school classes in Abba, as well as giving prizes to the best female and male dancers.
The festival continued on the second day when the activities that really thrilled the people most were performed.
Among the dignitaries at the occasion was the former governor of
Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige, who was the special guest of honour and Chief Joebilly Ekwunife, managing director, Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA), who was the chairman of the occasion.
In his welcome address on the second day of the new yam festival, the Chairman of the Cultural Fiesta Planning Committee, Mazi Alfred Chikelue Amasiana said: “We make bold to say that our labours have not been in vain as Iwaji Abba has become the talk of the towns with so many now emulating us.
“One of the aims of this programme, which is to re-imbibe in us the spirit of hard work, exemplified by our fore-fathers in the planting of early yams is over 80 per cent achieved and this is evident in statistics of “yam farmer of the year competitors.’’
He noted that the number of competitors has continued to increase with every passing year and has risen from four farmers in 2011 to more than 30 in 2014.
But even as the new yam celebration has continued to gain momentum in the Abba community, many of the natives are yet to identify with the programme which has not only promoted yam production, but also love, peace and spirit of co- operation.
This made the chairman of the occasion to say that, “we however regret to say that many others sons and daughters of this town are yet to understand and appreciate and are still sitting on the fence”.
This year’s festival was used to honour the oldest man and woman of the town with the presentation of gifts performed by the traditional ruler, Igwe Eze.
The gift for the oldest man went to Ogbuefi Nwankwo Okongwu who is presently 105 years, while that of the oldest woman in 2014 went to Mrs Theresa Agbomma Agu who is 111 years.
In the competition for the best yam farmer of the year in Abba for 2014, the first prize went to Mrs Christopher Nduka of Ire village who received a giant refrigerator, while the second prize of a television set went to Mr Nwafor Ijeloba of Amabor village even as Mr Samuel Nwoye won a power generating plant as third prize.
As part of the effort to promote education in the town, prizes were also extended to pupils in primary and post-primary schools in the community who performed excellently in their various classes.
In the same vein, star performers in wrestling and dancing received prizes for their excellent performance.
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