Stop Politicising Ezza Culture: Group Demands Apology from Ezza Elites over New Yam Festival
- The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora condemned the Ezza Elites group for holding an unsanctioned Okeaku New Yam Festival on June 30, 2026
- AEISCID said the gathering at the Okpoku Ezekuna ancestral ground bypassed elders who are the recognised custodians of Ezza-Ezekuna cultural traditions
- The diaspora group issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the Ezza Elites to apologise to the Ezza-Ezekuna people and pledge not to repeat such actions
A diaspora socio-cultural organisation has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to a group known as the Ezza Elites, demanding a formal apology over what it described as the unauthorised and politically motivated staging of the Okeaku New Yam Festival of the Ezza-Ezekuna nation.
The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) made the demand in a press statement signed by its worldwide president, Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, in reaction to a gathering held on June 30, 2026, at the Okpoku Ezekuna ancestral ground, also known as Nchionu.
Source: UGC
Elders bypassed, AEISCID says
According to AEISCID, the Ezza Elites convened the celebration without the knowledge, approval, or guidance of the traditional elders who are the recognised custodians of Ezza-Ezekuna cultural heritage. The organisation said the festival, known as Okeaku, traditionally signals the beginning of a new calendar year for the Ezza nation and follows established cultural and procedural protocols that must not be circumvented.
"Adorning the politically-colourated gathering of June 30th, 2026 at Okpoku Ezekuna as 'Okeaku festival' was for us and indeed, sincerely thoughtful minds a shameful embarrassment to our rich cultural heritage, tradition and our pride as a people," the statement read.
AEISCID acknowledged that members of the Ezza Elites group hold the right to free association and peaceful assembly, but argued that branding a politically coloured event as the official Okeaku festival crossed a line that could not be overlooked.
Group urges unity, warns of consequences
The organisation urged Ezza-Ezekuna sons and daughters worldwide to disregard what it called the actions of "desperate political hawks who are bent on destroying our culture for cheap political gains." It also reminded the Ezza Elites that they represent only one of many social groups within the Ezza nation.
AEISCID invoked a traditional Ezza maxim to reinforce its call for unity: "Ezza jikotara onu, ndu lanu, olu lanu," which the group said represents the symbolic strength and unity of the Ezza people even amid diversity.
Source: UGC
The statement warned that the actions of the Ezza Elites carry "heavy consequences both culturally, politically, morally and otherwise," and called on the group to exercise greater care going forward.
AEISCID closed its statement by urging the broader Ezza-Ezekuna community to remain calm and united under the shared traditions that define them as a people.
Source: Legit.ng
