The people of Mbiri Kingdom, Ika North East Local Government Area have celebrated this years, New Yam Festival. The Festival which was held in two phases, was formally to welcome a new harvest season, especially harvest of chief crop like yam.
According to the Ogele of Mbiri Kingdom, who also doubles as the oldest man in the community, Chief Nwaebo Dibie, the eaten of new yam before the festival is highly forbidden in the community.
Gabriel Dibie, who served as the spokesmen of the aged Ogele said that, "What we are celebrating today at Idumu Ikeze, in Mbiri precisely at the Ogele’s house is new yam festival. The Obi and the entire community celebrated their own a few days ago, why that of the Ogele who is the second in commend to the Obi of Mbiri, HRM Ifeanyi Alekwe comes up later, and that is what we are doing today. The reason why we are celebrating this year’s new yam festival is that we are happy to eat what we have laboured for, our farm produce, that is to say, there is no more hunger".
Also, Mr. Chukwuwezu Nwaebo, while describing Ogele, chief Nwaebo Dibie as a hero in Mbiri Kingdom, asserted that the Mbiri community New Yam Festival is as old as the community itself. I appreciated my father, the Ogele, for his sterling leadership and also appeal to the Mbiri Monarch, HRM Obi Ifeanyi Alekwe and the government at all level to help Mbiri kingdom in the areas of electricity and good roads.
In the same vein, Mr Chukwudi Nwaebo who is a trado-medical doctor, based in Mbiri stated that the essence of the New Yam Festival is to thank God for making them to be alive to eat what they have sown. He therefore, wished Obi Alekwe, Chief Nwaebo Dibie long lives and as we well prayed that God will continue to keep them and the entire Mbiri Kingdom
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