Onitsha People Excited as Glo-Sponsored Ofala Festival Kicks Off

The people of Onitsha in Anambra State are basking in the euphoria of another Ofala Festival as the event, sponsored by telecommunications giant, Globacom, kicks off.

Ofala is an annual event in celebration of his Majesty, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, Agbogidi. 

The convivial gathering started on Friday in Onitsha, Anambra State, with a Youth Carnival organized by the Onitsha Ado Youth Council (OYC) featuring different cultural groups, including the Otu Odu Onitsha, Egwu Odu, and Agbalanze, who turned out in full traditional regalia as they danced through the streets of Inland Town, Onitsha. The carnival is to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Onitsha indigenes.

Another exciting highlight of the festival is the Oreze Arts Series, a group art exhibition promoted by His Majesty’s Chimedie Museum Trust Foundation. The exhibition opened on Friday, with over 120 artists exhibiting their works. They include Alex Nwokolo, Kainebi Osahenye, Edison Ekwueme, Dr. Bolaji Ogunwo, Tola Wewe, and Ayeva Nourridine. The special guest will be Professor John Ogene, Professor of Art History and Graphics, Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Benin.

The Iru Ofala was celebrated yesterday, Saturday, October 22, while the Azu Ofala held on Sunday, October 23. Both occasions present the monarch with the opportunity to fulfill certain traditional obligations. The two events are primarily celebrations by the monarch and the subjects of his annual emergence from seclusion, during which he successfully supplicated for his kingdom’s continued well-being. It is also a re-enactment of the joy which the monarch shared with his subjects at the discovery that yam is non-toxic, and is a valuable source of food. Igwe Achebe is also using the occasion of the Ofala to commemorate his 20th anniversary as monarch.

Globacom has put together a royal banquet in honor of the Obi of Onitsha.  It is scheduled for Wednesday, October 26 at the Dolly Hills Hotel, Onitsha. 

Activities for the 2022 Ofala Festival will end with an Ofala Thanksgiving service on Sunday, October 30 at St. Stephens Anglican Church, Onitsha. 

Globacom equally announced a special promotion to give subscribers the opportunity to win amazing prizes including tricycles, popularly called Keke, industrial sewing machines, and grinding machines. “All a subscriber needs to do to win any of the prizes is to recharge with a minimum of N1, 500 or to buy a minimum data bundle of N1, 000 before the end of the promo,” the company said.