Iyase Issele-Uku, Other Ikpalas Eat New Yam In Celebration Of Igbu Awai Festival

By Patrick Ochei 

The Iyase of Issele-Uku Kingdom and an Okpala-Ani, Chief Innocent Etemua Ashiedu has performed the Igbu Awai Festival, marking his first time eating the new yam as an Okpala Issei in the year 2025.

The Iyase observed the full complement of the Iwaji as a ranking Onotu chief and a titled Okpala Issei, where his brother had to first put the yam porridge in his mouth (Igunya Ji Na Onu) before others were served to eat.

Chief Ashiedu used the medium to pray for Issele-Uku Kingdom, asking God to continue to prosper the land and her inhabitants through His Royal Majesty, Agbogidi Obi Nduka.

In the same vein, our media crew visited the homes of the Akogwu of Issele-Uku, Chief Francis Ijeh, the Oloto of Issele-Uku and Okpalabisi Idumu-Ahaba, Chief Ignatius Memeh and then the Chairman of Aniocha North Branch of NURTW, Comrade Lucky Ochei where sumptuous porridge (Awai) and the medicinal Otite were served before proper meal, prepared with the new yam was served.

The sights of the cooking of the Awai, preparing the Otite from a mixture of the Otite leave, pepper and black ashes from burnt yams and then the pounding of yam for solid food were lovely and a good reminder of our beautiful culture.

However, a lot of the things that made the culture of Igbu Awai intricately unique in the past are no more. Things like paying homage to the Ikpalas by taking yams to them, either as in-laws, friends or god-children which was called "Itu Ji" is no longer practiced. Also, the number of persons that engage in Igbu Awai have drastically reduced.