By Rejoice Chinaza Chikezie
If you are in Umuahia in late August and you hear a loud gunshot followed by the deep sound of Ikoro, don’t be afraid. It is not war. It is Ibeku telling everybody that new yam has come.
I am from Amuzukwu Ibekwu, in Umuahia North, for us, the New Yam Festival is not just about eating It is about Thanksgiving to God that created yam.
In Ibeku land, we have seven clans, Afarata, Afara Ukwu, Amaoforo, Emede, Isieke, Ndume and Osaah. Amuzukwu is a village. And we have a rule that every child from birth knows that no one, no matter how rich you are, will taste new yam until the rite is done at Umuajiji in Isieke every year on August.
That rite is done by the Oparaukwu Ibeku, Eze Samuel Iheonu Onuoha. He is called Ogurube IV Ibeku, the head of other kings of the villages in Ibekwu.
Early in the morning of Iri Ji day, before sun is high, he goes to Egwu Ibeku, our traditional ground at Umuajiji Isieke. There, he roasts a big yam and cuts it into pieces according to the numbers of chief and kings present. we eat it with palm oil, pepper and salt, just as our forefathers did.
My father told me, The tradition at Isieke Ibeku was part of the culture we inherited from my forefathers, Even though he never let us out to take part in it when we were younger.
Once that is done, the Ikoro sounds which is summoning the spirit of the land and gunshots follows. That sound is a message to all of us in Amuzukwu, you can now eat.
After that, the real party starts and it lasts for more then a month until all the villages have finished eating yam for the yam festival.
In Amuzukwu the youth and even elderly people dance and sing around the village streets
People come back from far and near every year, from Aba, Lagos, Abuja, and other parts of the country.
My grandfather used to pour libation to gods the yam spirit. But now things have changed.
Today, when we gather in Isieke, after the Eze cuts the yam, we pray to Chineke, The mighty God.
Because nowadays most of us are Christians, but as it is our tradition still remains.
You may ask why yam, there are other crops, yes we choose yam be it’s the king of all crops. Because on our land yam grows very well on the land so we believe that God has blessed us with.
As yam is king, In the old days, if your barn was full, it means you are a hardworking man. You can marry, you can take title.
For me, I don’t really join in the celebration but Iri Ji It’s an exciting moment, sounds from the youth, the people that visited, even relatives coming back, and we all ate together through sharing the food we prepared from our different homes, the outing and visiting friends, for us as kids it’s one the moment we make money from uncles, aunties, family friends.
After the yam eating in the different villages, “ekpa ekpe” which are masquerades dance, that starts as the continuation of the yam festival, some village has up to 10 to 12 some others are more or less but in Amuzukwu we don’t do it.
