Clement Nnachi 
Sociologists define culture as the totality of people’s way of life, be- haviour and life style. It is the belief and attitude about something that people in a par- ticular group or organisation share. Aji Ereke Carnival is a unique cultural fiesta organised by the people of Amagu community in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. It is an age long ceremony that venerates the cultural belief of the people and it had lasted over the years.
The essence of the festival is to promote the rich cultural heritage of the people, symbol of unity, togetherness, and cohesion. Culture being the pride of the people, creates an avenue to chart a way forward for the advancement and development of the community.
On this festive day, it was a joyous occasion, filled with excitement and colours, as the sons and daughters of the 25 villages that make up Amagu Ikwo converged on Amagu Civic and Cultural Centre to celebrate the grand finale.
Grand finale
Wednesday, April 23, 2025, marked the grand finale of the Aji Ereke Carnival, which lasted for eight days, with pomp and fun fare across the land. It was a carnival that rallied round all sons and daughters of the community both at home and in the Diaspora.
The festival is quite elaborate and expressive of the beliefs and ways of life of the people, with various entertaining displays enacted for the joy of the people and their visitors who thronged the community to witness the celebration.
Aji Ereke Cultural Festival is for the people quite an important occasion because among others it is used to usher in a new farming season in Ikwo, especially in Amagu community. It is one of the most significant and popular celebrations held annually by the people. It was convivial celebration for the people of all ages who took in the event. The event is a unifying factor for the people as it signifies the preservation of the cultural heritage of the people.
It is after the celebration of the festival that the new farming season begins for the people. During the celebration, the people exchange gifts while women cook different local delicacies, package them in earthen pots and bring them to- gether for consumption among themselves. The women also bring gallons of palm wine, which they also drink together. The festival affords most of them the opportunity to show that their husbands took good care of them as they are elegantly attired and look good while the old women tie only wrappers on their waists and bare their breasts.
With celebration of Aji Ereke Annual Cultural Carnival, Amagu ushers in new season The women usually appear in this form during the celebration, dancing round the festival ground while men play the drums for them. Different masquerades add colour to the celebration; some of them put up spectacular performances at the venue.
Men and youths are usually there, chanting songs for the masquerades and following them round the arena. It was an occasion for the people to not only showcase their vast cultural elements such as music, dance, masquerades including Okowe, Oyawa, Ikpobila, Ita, Okporoede, among others but also a time of grand feasting there were more than enough to eat and drink.
Before the grand finale, the villagers had celebrated for seven days, with various activities unfolded. The ceremony, which commenced at 11am, was chaired by Chief Mathias Adum, the Principal Secretary to Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru. In attendance were youths, elders, men, women, and traditional rulers from all the villages.
Showcases who we are
Speaking during the ceremony, the traditional ruler of Amagu community, Dominic Aloh, disclosed among others the significant and benefits of the festival to the people. According to him, “This thing we are doing today as Aji Ereke is a thing that started from time immemorial. It came before our grandfathers and great grandfathers. ‘‘So, we are trying to revive it and we thank our representatives in the National Assembly for deeming it necessary to revive it.
We are going to revive it and it is going to be an annual event. “Every year, we will do it to show people that we still recognize our culture, we will not allow it to die. In Ikwo, Aji is a feast that goes round the entire communities.
“We have about 15 different communities in Ikwo and we in Amagu where we are doing this today, we have 25 villages and each of these 25 villages used to have this in their different village squares. But today, we are connecting them together here to have the grand finale to show people that this is our culture because our culture is our heritage and we don’t want it to die.
“The display here is pure and original. It shows who we are and I commend Amagu Ikwo people for sustaining and improving on it. From what we have seen today, there is a remarkable improvement this year. So, I am calling on other communities to emulate them even as I know that it would get better next year.”
Sustainability of festival
The member representing Ikwo and Ezza South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chinedu Ogah (OON), who was part of the celebrants, pledged to ensure the sustainability of the festival.
Ogah, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, made the pledge during the grand finale of the carnival held at the community during his remark, commending the people and the various traditional rulers and institutions for ensuring that the carnival is celebrated annually.
The lawmaker urged his people to continue to support the carnival and to have regard for the culture of their communities and identify with it. He said that the carnival had promoted peace, unity and cohesiveness among the people, noting that everybody in the community including stakeholders are committed to the ideals of the festival.
According to him, “We are celebrating the carnival because we have a very conducive environment in the State created by the administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru. “Culture confers dignity on the people, there is a place in this community if we are looking for something and we go there, the truth must come out” Ogah noted that the carnival was a celebration of the cultural ties of the people, stating, “it is not against Christianity. “Through this carnival, we witnessed the coming together of men, women, rich, poor, weak, strong and members of the society are united in healthy celebration.
Message of hope
His message to the youths, is for them to support the policies and programmes of the governor in order to deliver democratic dividends to the people. Speaking against the background of the sustainability of the event, Ogah assured that as far as there is life, the festival would be sustained.
Ogah said: “This eight-day event ends today. At the end of the eight days, we gather in one place and celebrate it as a carnival. We have done that in various villages. We are celebrating this because we have a governor that has made us have peace. “For almost 15 years, we were at war with our neighbouring state here, Cross River. But since our dear governor came on board, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, we have never heard any gun shot at the boundary.
“He appointed of our sons as commissioners for border peace, attorney general and culture and tourism. “We are celebrating this culture because apart from Izzi clan, it is Amagu that our governor has the highest votes. The festival today is celebration of unity. Here we eat together, we drink together and dance together. There is no demarcation and that is how our culture is.
“When I was elected, I made it as part of my projects that every year, I will be voting money for us to marking this cultural festival. “By next year, I am going to vote one hundred million for the event. By next year, we are going to involve the international community in the programme because the governor has shown us the way and we have to bring peace to his government. We have to give him support. We want the 20 wards in Ikwo to continue to give him support.”
Commendation
While Nwifuru also felicitated with the people of Amagu on the occasion of the celebration of Aji Ereke Festival. Nwifuru, who was represented by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Moses Ije Odunwa, described the carnival as historic.
He said that his administration would embark on more developmental projects for the community because of their massive support for the government. Stakeholders and leaders of Amagu used the occasion to reiterate the importance of the festival, noting that besides its cultural appeal that the festival is a source of economic development of the community.
The National President of Amagu General Assembly, Professor Anthony Itumo, maintained that the day marked the beginning of agricultural season. This is as he said, “Once the Aji Ereke is gone, people start their farming activities, it is the event that unites all the people.
“Today is a great day in Amagu kingdom, it is set aside for the grand finale, all the 25 villages brought out their traditional displays.” Itumo lauded the federal Ogah for his commitment to the overall success of the carnival.
Addressing the people, the Traditional Prime Minister, Amagu Erimogwudi Kingdom, who doubles as the Legal Adviser of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Okeagu Ogadah, emphasised that the culture of the people was supreme. According to him, “in the last 39 years, Amagu people have been observing this festival.’’ He stressed that the event was to showcase the cultural potentials of Amagu people, insisting that culture binds the people together.
