Oke-Aku, a celebration that unites Ezza people of Ebonyi

…Nwifuru, stakeholders stress need for peace, unity, urge sustainable cultureBy Jeff Agbodo On June 6, 2026, Ezza Ezekuna Cultural Civic Centre in Onueke was abuzz with excitement when the people marked the grand finale of the Oke-aku festival with pomp and pageantry. Oke-aku in Ezza land marks the end of the old yam harvest and the beginning of the new yam harvest. This festival, which usually comes between July and September, is much valued and respected in Ezza land because it brings unity among the people.

The festival is marked with lots of cultural displays, visitation, a show of charity through exchange of gifts among families, and reverence to God who provides for them all through the year. And this year’s celebration drew thousands of Ezza Ezekuna sons and daughters and their friends and well-wishers from across the state and beyond. It is a celebration mainly used to renew the bond, unity, hope, brotherly love and genuine reconciliation among Ezza people.

The cultural centre, filled to the brim, was agog with excitement and cultural display during the grand finale, which marked the completion of the festive period, which spans across the four traditional market days: Orie, Afor, Eke and Nkwor, according to the Ezza Ezekuna cultural calendar. It witnessed an unprecedented turnout of illustrious sons and daughters of Ezza, both at home and in the diaspora, their guests and culture enthusiasts from other clans across Ebonyi State, including Izzi Nnodo, Ikwo Nnoyo, Ngbo Ejogu, Afikpo, Ohaozara, Amasiri, Igbo Asaa, among others, who came to identify with the people. The atmosphere was electrified with cultural dances, traditional displays, and communal feasting that showcased the rich heritage and unity of the Ezza people.

The festival also highlighted the economic and social benefits of the event. It promoted social cohesion and community bonding among the people of the clan. An offering is made to the spirits, with special reference to the presiding deity of the yam.In the olden days, fowls offered as sacrifice must be carried to the farm and slain there, with the blood sprinkled on the farm.

But modernity has changed all that. At the event, community leaders and stakeholders emphasized the importance of peace and preservation of cultural heritage. In their separate speeches, the Chairmen of host local government areas of Ezza extraction, Ezza South,…