How Uniqueness Of Nri Ancient Kingdom Resonated At The Celebration Of Her 1023rd ‘Igu Aro Ndi Igbo’ Cultural Festival -By Sandra Ijeoma Okoye

It was a carnival of sorts as people of Nri Kingdom in Anaocha Local Government Area, Anambra State recently celebrated the 1023rd “Igu Aro Ndi Igbo” cultural festival.

Lucidly put, the “Igu Aro Igbo” or Igbo calendar, is a lunar calendar, which measures space and time using the phases of the moon. The calendar, which shares semblance with what is obtainable in the Peoples Republic of China and Israel, is shorter than the conventional solar year which has three hundred and sixty-five days.

Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the Igbo calendar has thirteen months in a year, seven weeks in a month and four days representing Eke, Orie, Afor, and Nkwo, in addition to one extra day at the end of the year in the last month.

His Majesty Eze Obidegwu Onyeso. MFR, JP. Nriewelana 11 (The Custodian of Igbo culture, tradition, and keeper of Igbo Ancestral Home Land) whose palace was the venue of the event was represented by the Regent Prince Ikenna Onyeso (Idebuteaku).

During the performance of Igu Aro, the Regent Prince Ikenna Onyeso (Idebuteaku Na Nri) said “Nri, being the custodian of Igbo civilization and culture declared the beginning of the Igu Aro the planting seasons for Igbo communities and towns.
Performing the traditional “Itu Nzu” and breaking of kola nuts, he prayed for peace, harmony, and progress of the Nri community, Igbo land in general as well as all Nigerians and those in the diaspora. After performing the rituals that are associated with the “Itu Nzu” phase of the festival and breaking of kola nuts, the national president of Ozo Ndi Igbo in Nigeria, Prof Ike Oluka gave his remarks on tradition, culture and his support on Igu Aro in the Igbo lunar calendar.

The event, which was highlighted with the distribution of yam seedlings, cultural dance troupes, wrestling match and various types of indigenous shows that are peculiar to the event as a way of entertaining the people, saw the representative of Eze Nri dance to the tune of Igba Eze Royal Drum and Ufie, and consequently departs the arena with dignitaries.

A peep into the monarchy reveals that the Nri traditional institution is the oldest in Nigeria as recently disclosed by Chief Chukwuemeka Onyeso, Prince of the Onyeso dynasty. Onyeso, an octogenarian, who made the disclosure late last year at the unveiling of his book entitled “Dirt On White Spectrum” said his book is a comparative study of kingships in Nigeria as it threw insight to how Nri throne is rated as the oldest kinship in Nigeria.

The octogenarian said the throne played key roles in the coronation of Oba of Benin and Atta of Igala, and added that priests from the kingdom which existed over 900 years ago, might have also played a very decisive role in establishing the institution of Oba in Yoruba land, 145 years after Nri.

The public presentation of the book, which also coincided with the 80th birthday of the author saw him saying that history books which were used to impart knowledge to students ahead of the Senior Secondary School Examinations (SSCE) in the past had some fallacious claims that Igbo had no culture, organized governance structure and that the Igbo traditional system started with the warrant chiefs.

Onyeso said contrary to the claims, Igboukwu excavations and studies commissioned by Prof Kenneth Dike, the foremost historian, revealed that Igbo had the oldest traditional and kingship institution in Nigeria dating back to 900 years, and added that the Benin Traditional system predated the Yoruba traditional system, while Igbo had guest houses in Oni’s Palace which were usually occupied by Nri Priests.

Ostensibly buttressing the historical fact, he asserted, “It is documented that before Oba of Benin is installed, Nri Priests do cleansing rites. “If we are from Yoruba, we won’t have a guest house in the palace, so it shows that we visit there for special functions.”

Onyeso, at the time he made the public presentation of his book expressed displeasure that the people of Aguleri whom he described as children of the last child of Eri had presented a position paper to the Anambra House of Assembly to work on a bill that will recognize them as a source of Igbo nation, to which he said Nri as a community would contest the position as it was fallacious and distortion of historical facts.

The Octogenarian who said he started gathering materials for the book in 2001, and started the writing works in 2013, thanked God that he was able to complete the book before clocking 80.
For newsmen that covered the event, it provided a plinth of newsgathering of exemplary rich tradition and culture, particularly as it explains salient facts about the widely admired kingdom, mostly as the colorful annual event marks the beginning of Igbo New year and declaration of Igbo Lunar Calendar by the custodian of Igbo culture and Tradition known as Eze Nri.

More so, Nri kingdom which is known to be the ancestral homeland of all Igbos even as they believe to have originated from the kingdom makes the event and the rich history behind it unique. The event, no doubt, has remained a rallying point for the Igbos as it brings them all back to the land to receive the New Year blessings from Eze Nri. This is as Prince Ikenna Onyesoh (Idebuteaku) who is the regent of Nri kingdom as expected, sends out his fatherly blessings to all Igbos who he also shared tubers of yam. As he is wont to, beneficiaries of his blessed yam gifts are charged to go back to their lands, cultivate and wait for a bountiful harvest.

At this juncture, it is imperative to say that the uniqueness of the 2022 edition of the festival was no doubt irresistible as the occasion experienced a large turnout of people from Nri kingdom, people from other Igbo communities and Friends of the Igbos.

Adding memorable colour to the event was music performance by Afunwa Okegwu, Popular highlife musician Ikem Mazeli, Dancers known as Ugobueze Cultural dancers among other entertainers.

Virtually everyone that attended the event attested to the fact that it was colorful and perceptive, and on that note was unanimously rated to be one of the best so far in recent years.
Also, Ohaneze Ndigbo, a group that ties all Igbos together also came with their full members to this event, with the event being partly sponsored by Nigerian Breweries PLC, MTN Nigeria and Milani Cosmetics Nigeria.