Umuoziri Day: A Celebration Of Culture, Unity And Love

BEN AHANONU

On Sunday, December 31, 2023, Umuoziri – a peaceful, beautiful, boisterous and close-knit community in Inyishi, Ikeduru, will come alive as the great and wonderful people mark this year’s Umuoziri Cultural Day.

The yearly cultural fiesta, which started in 1986 or thereabout and has given Umuoziri a clear identity and brand, was initiated by great sons and daughters of Umuoziri, Inyishi, to help foster unity, promote love and development in the progressive community and revive the cultural norms of Umuoziri -nay, Inyishi that were almost sliding into extinction.

Umuoziri is made up of 8 kindreds grouped into Amankwu and Ama-Aghidi and it is also strategically located as an intersection of Ikeduru East and West in the southern part of expansive Inyishi – the Aluminum Town.

The people of Umuoziri are disciplined, peaceful and God-fearing as they hold in high esteem the fine threads of kinship that bond them. It is such community spirit that played prominent role in the establishment of a secondary School known as Umuoziri Secondary Technical College – built solely by the community through communal efforts in the early ’80s and generations of Umuoziri people obtained their secondary school education at that inspirational college, which captures the earnest desire of a blessed community to achieve a dream with unspeakable resilience. Interestingly, many products of Umuoziri Secondary Technical College are today successful and flourishing in various fields of human endeavour across the world.

Umuoziri also stands out as the only community in Inyishi Town that has a secondary school apart from the one at the centre of Inyishi.

In Umuoziri, the unwritten rule is that the young ones should never insult the elders and the other unwritten law is that no form of criminality will ever thrive in the community, that is why in Umuoziri, people succeed in life only through dint of hard work and zeal to make the difference with sheer determination.

It must be pointed out that on each Umuoziri Day celebration, the enthusiastic natives dress in their best cultural attire and showcase the best of Umuoziri culture including the food, dance and others.

Because it holds on every 31st of December, Umuoziri Cultural Day also serves as an opportunity for the people to return to and connect with the resplendent native land full of optimism and positive energy.

It is always a sweet and memorable occasion that holds on New Year’s Eve as was intentionally fixed by the founding fathers – God bless their souls, and Umuoziri people are always happy about being part of it and thereafter move into the New Year excitedly as one big family.

In order to promote unity and love amongst the natives, there is also a yearly football tournament that precedes Umuoziri Day and it has been sustained over the years by great Umuoziri sons and daughters, who have continuously sponsored it ever since it began.

Ndi Umuoziri equally have a great connection with Almighty God as a religious community – reason for the two magnificent cathedrals of the Anglican Communion and Catholic Faith. There are also other churches like the Baptist and First Century Gospel Church.

This year’s Umuoziri Day with the theme: ” Ejiri mara anyi efule,” just like the previous ones will be memorable and even better because of the new impetus and direction brought to bear on the planning and execution by the interim management committee led by the President-General of the community and a successful legal luminary Barrister Sam Kamange.

Worthy of mention also is the chairman of the organizing committee of the yearly cultural fiesta, Dr Umunna Opara – another great son of Umuoziri that has attained enviable heights in scholastic endeavours.

The priceless contributions of the dedicated secretary and man of steel, TP John Ugwuneke and other chairmen and members of the various subcommittees for the successful hosting of the historic annual event like Mr Callistus Ahanonu, remain commendable and Umuoziri community cannot thank you enough.

Umuoziri community is also grateful to her diasporans especially the dependable legion in the United States of America, who are always eager to support and contribute to every developmental effort and any other noble cause of Umuoziri in a rare display of community spirit.

According to Helen Keller: ” Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.”

Therefore as Umuoziri sons and daughters congregate for this great event, let so much be achieved, let there be more development, more peace, more prosperity and let God Almighty continue to bless Umuoziri.

– Hon. Prince Ben AHANONU, Special Adviser (CSDP) to the Governor of Imo State.