The people of Azumini Ndoki kingdom in Abia State came out in their numbers with lavish attires celebrating the revered Ikoro festival.
It was the best of culture, cuisines, dance and glitz on March 2, 2020 in Abia State as the spectacular Ikoro Festival was celebrated in Azumini Ndoki kingdom, a community in Ukwa East Local Government Area. It was simply tradition at its best and the colourful displays say it all.
Ikoro Azumini is an event when the people of Azumini gather to thank God for fertility and bountiful harvest of the previous farming season as well as pray for a more bountiful yield in the coming farming season.
Azumini ancient kingdom also referred to as the Blue River City is an island with ancestral connections with the Ijaws of Ndoki stock. Azumini is estimated to be over 200 years old. The people are said to be hospitable, accommodating and lavishly proud of their cultural heritage. They also love their language, their special kind of soup and other mouth-watering delicacies especially the ukazi soup, “Africa salad” and their free spiritism.
Over the years Ikoro Azumini festival has transformed into a colourful fiesta that attracts both foreign and local tourists. Asides that, Ikoro dances are considered exclusively for nobles and culture initiates. It is like the surugede, which is referred to as the dance of the spirit.
In the displays, tourists were thoroughly entertained by the display of the rich culture and free-spiritedness of the Ndoki people.
A common sight at the festival was the lavish attires worn by the people which are a great attraction. The women adorned their attires in the variants of “George” wrappers, beads and the men their bowler hats, walking stick among others interesting designs. They move around with dignity and pride savouring in the activities.
Lineage members, consanguineous relatives, cardinal kins, men, women, children, friends and visitors across different generations were present at the village square to mark this worthy occasion. Adorned in their cultural wrappers and choral ornaments, they danced their hearts out, showcasing their community and their heritage in elegant style. Truly, it was at events like this that the spirit of being Igbo, of being Nigerian, and of being African is truly recognised, cherished, appreciated and celebrated.
Azumini is stupendously rich with culture, which they have preserved from ages, though with a few modifications. It is instructive to note that the indigenous people of Azumini Ndoki are Ijaw by blood. They have many prominent personalities like Ambassador Okey Emuchay, a former Nigeria envoy to South Africa, Dr Chika Emuchay, a former Commissioner for Health, Dr Evans Dennar, a former Director of Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) and Prof Paul Feyi Waboso, 1st son of King Dr Feyi Waboso among many others.
In attendance at the occasion was the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe under whose Senatorial District the Azumini community is domicile, Honorable Uzoma Nkem Abonta representing Ukwa East/West Federal Constituency. Representing the Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu was Hon. Chika Art Adiele, Senior Special Assistant to on Media and Communication and Barrister Chimdi Nwokeukwu, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on SDGs.
Commending the efforts in organizing the event, Senator Abaribe eulogised the uniqueness of Ikoro Azumini and pledged to always support future editions.
Hon Adiele, SSA to the governor on media while speaking to News Royale stressed the need to encourage Abia people to value their traditional and culture.
Another participant, Chidi Nwangwu commended the organisers of the event pointing out that it is surely a celebration that he would love to witness again. “May the joyful spirit of Azumini continue to shine and illuminate not just our community, but the entire Ukwa-Ngwa nation and Abia State at large. And may the spirit of oneness and love for our community which was on first-class display continue to blossom from generation to generation,” he noted.
Delicacy on display was folo ukazi a special meal of the Azumini people. On the whole, it was an exquisite, royal, classic and superb cultural celebration that left many looking forward to another interesting edition next year.
