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A socio-cultural organisation, the Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID), has warned against what it described as attempts to politicize the annual Okeaku (New Yam) Festival of the Ezza Ezekuna people, urging individuals and groups to respect established cultural traditions.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu on Saturday, the group expressed concern over the abandonment of the usual process of fixing and celebrating the festival, which it said traditionally marks the beginning of a new calendar year for the Ezza nation.
The AEISCID said a gathering organized on 30 June 2026 on the ancestral land of Okpoku Ezekuna (Nchionu) by a group identified as “Ezza Elites” was held without the guidance or approval of the recognized traditional custodians of the Ezza cultural heritage.
According to the association, although every group has the constitutional right to peaceful assembly and freedom of association, presenting the event as the official Okeaku Festival could create confusion over long-established cultural practices.
The group argued that cultural festivals should remain free from political influence and called on stakeholders to uphold the traditions and values that have united the Ezza people for generations.
The AEISCID also urged the organizers of the meeting to acknowledge the concerns raised and ensure that future activities are in line with established cultural protocols in order to preserve the integrity of the Okeaku Festival.
The association also appealed to the sons and daughters of Ezza Ezekuna, both at home and in the diaspora, to remain peaceful and united, underlining the need to protect the cultural heritage of the community from actions capable of creating division.
Reaffirming its commitment to promoting the cultural values of the Ezza nation, the AEISCID called on all stakeholders to work together to preserve the customs and traditions that define the identity of the people.
“Going forward, they must indeed recognize and live by the age-old saying; Ezza jikotara un, ndu lanu, olu lanu which means our symbolic strength and our unity even in diversity. This group urges the great sons and daughters of Ezza Ezekuna to ignore the deplorable gathering of people who we could rightly describe as desperate political hawks who are bent on destroying our culture for cheap political gains.
“They should remember that they are only one of many social groups in the Ezza nation. To this end we therefore advise the Ezza Elites to be very careful with their actions and activities as they carry heavy consequences both culturally, politically, morally and otherwise.
“Finally, AEISCID urges all sons and daughters of Ezza Ezekuna around the world to remain calm, resolute and under the one and united umbrella that governs our traditions as a people. And as we will never allow such an embarrassing incident to happen again, we urge our people of the Ezza nation to continue to live in the love, peace and unity for which we are known.”
