By Ifeizu Joe
The traditional ruler of Umueri Kingdom in Anambra East Local Government Area, Igwe Sir Ben Emeka has said that all is set for the new yam festival of the community for 2025.
The new yam festival which is also known as Ilonmuo festival, the monarch said will come it on Saturday, September 6, and would be the most colourful the community has had, as several sponsored are lined up for the event, while several activities have also been introduced.
Sir Emeka who briefed journalists in his palace as part of event making the festival said it would hold in his palace, while also inviting dignitaries to the event. He also used the opportunity to trace the origin of Ilonmuo and how it has been transformed over to years to accommodate people of all faith, while fetish practices have also been removed from it. 
He said: “What we will be having is an ancient practice called Ilonmuo and it happens in August or September of every years. We count the date using the traditional calendar, to determine when to hold it.
“The Onowu of the community announces the appearance of the moon of the new yam festival and from there the Igwe takes a date. It used to be Ilonmuo, but with the new development in the society, we decided to transform it to Iri ji (New Yam Festival). This is to accommodate everyone including those who go to church.
“If it was then, you bring a deity called Okposi during the celebration, and people make chants in worship of it, but now we have transformed it to a Christian practice and all the Churches are involved and they come together to hold joint service on the day of the celebration after which the Igwe goes into seclusion, then comes back to pray with kolanut, where he prays for the entire community, prays for harvest and blesses all the people and the youths.
“From there the Igwe cuts roasted yam, and the tradition is to cut into into how many quarters we have in the community and the leaders of the quarters come to pick from there and eat with well garnished sauce. From there, it is assumed that Umueri has eaten yam and from there, people can go to their various quarters to hold their own celebration.
“This is a practice that has dated back to 100. years, but under me, but is the ninth year I have had it and it continues to be better. By next year it will be the 10th and that will be a decade.
“We are expecting all the big personalities in this state. Since I became the Igwe, the celemony has always been colourful. We will have wrestling completion in three categories and there will be lots of masquerading and you know the Ijele will be there and you know that Umueri are the originators of the Ijele masquerade, and we won the price during festac 77 with Ijele masquerade.”
We have major sponsors, including Seaman aromatic schnapps and Indomie noodles. We are urging our people to come together let us celebrate,” the monarch said.
