Grand finale of Uguzo Emekuku cultural festival in Okwu Emeke

 

Uguzo Emekuku cultural festival closing ceremony, known as, ( i da ehi) was held on the 2ND of December 2021, at Okwu-Emeke, in Akali Ukwu autonomous community in Emekuku, Owerri -North local government area in Imo state. 

From the historical archive of the ten communities, that make up Emekuku community, are they children of Ezeulukwu, that are presently known as 

(Emekuku ofor iri) and Okwu-Emeke is the last born of Emekuku Oshi Udela (Mbi ime).

Uguzo Emekuku cultural festival, started from the Okwu Emeke community and it is at their community, the great giants of umu Okoro Ubochi and Okwu Emeke community, clashed because of the Osu Ukwu palm fruit, and warriors of Okwu Emeke, killed the giants of umu Okoro Ubochi, before the arrival of their sister, who is married at Ezedibia in Emekuku, and she came into Okwu Emeke, her place of birth, through Okinta Nkwo stream, to Eke-Aro Ukwu thick forest. 

According to the report received by the Drizzlersnews correspondent, who was in Okwu Emeke community, to observe, i da ehi Uguzo cultural festival event, said it started, with the Uguzo cultural festival songs and a procession movement by youths of the community, going from one compound to another, dressed in their traditional beautiful wrapper regalia. 

At the Okwu Emeke round about, a group of elderly men in traditional isi agu attire, made four times wordily incarnations, with their hands opened, shouting 

" E eeee yeeee" as they were going from one point to another at the round about, while been gathered by enthusiastic youths, along the Okwu Emeke road by Eke-Aro Ukwu, that is leading to Okinta Nkwo stream, as they await to perform the rituals of i da ehi Uguzo, while they were singing and displaying the Uguzo dancing steps with their body movement. 

At the Okwu Emeke catholic church, a farm close to it, youths stopped there, and use their body to destroy the cassava crops and at the centre of the church,  the youths commenced kick tackling each other on the ground, except you are standing and as Drizzlersnews correspondent made some inquiry about the tackles, weather it is part of the culture of  i da ehi, an elder of from whose name was withheld, said it is not part of the culture, but the youths who started such dangerous act, must be disciplined and at that same catholic church some group of young girls beautifully dressed young in traditional attire, were standing by the side, singing, as they were shouting " Kwa ma Udela and their responds is Udela" but the kept shouting and their second song is

 " Mgbara" Mgbara" and lastly they were shouting that 

O wu ajo ohia and it is a dangerous forest, but before they elders and youths of Okwu Emeke, got into the Eke-Aro Ukwu forest, to perform the i da ehi uguzo cultural festival, some youths dived into the Eke-Aro Ukwu forest, route, not minding the forest thorns, and opened the forest, as well destroyed economic cash crops in peoples farms, that are blocking the entrance into the forest.

But it took a long time before the could come out from the Eke Aro Ukwu forest, and so of them, that went into the forest, missed their way, while coming out, but some elders brought some opete leave, that was used to trace them, where the got missing and some of them that went inside to perform i da ehi uguzo cultural festival rituals, came out with vegetable ugu leaves and popikin, as well,  so many other fruits that, were found in the forest and it was traced that a none indigene of Okwu Emeke, should not go into the Eke Aro Ukwu forest, to join, in the performance of i da ehi uguzo Emekuku cultural festival, they sang to the uguzo rhythms, while going back to their various kindreds, to enjoy the para para soup and as well entertain  guests, who were invited, to witness and grace the occasion, with them. 

But the priestess and custodian of Ezenwanyi Okitankwo, Agbara nwanyi Eshimeshi Bertha Uchechi Nnaji, arrived Okwu Emeke community, while they were celebrating the grand finale of Uguzo Emekuku cultural festival, dressed in red trouser and white polo, standing at the Okwu Emeke round about and while on the commencement of uguzo cultural festival at Nkwo Emeke, she was dressed in blue trouser jeans, as well white polo.   

One of the great observations made, by Drizzlersnews correspondent, is that despite the climatic weather condition observed in 2021, there was series of heavy rain fall in season.  

But it has remain a mystery in the eyes of people, who have not ascertained the predictions and the flowing source of Okinta Nkwo stream, because once the celebration of uguzo cultural festival in Emekuku, commence, the Okinta Nkwo stream will dry up, from it's source, in any part of the state, it came from, while Onumurukwa river, will continue to flow and before the celebration of the grand finale of Uguzo Emekuku cultural festival, it is totally dried, except some few areas, that you see stagnant water stream of Okinta Nkwo, that is not flowing and the next Uguzo Emeke cultural festival, will take place next year November 2022, it is a yearly event.