By Rose Oranye
- Says
Festival Now Baptised To Rreflect Modernity, Christain Values
The Anambra State Commissioner for
Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, Sunday, along with the Commissioner for Culture,
Entertainment and Tourism, Mr. Udoji Amedu, attended thevOmaliko Festival in
his hometown, Abatete, Idemili North Local Government Area.
Speaking in an interview after celebrating with
his people at Afor Nsukwu and Agbaja Community Centre, respectively, Dr. Mefor
said the festival’s evolution directly supports the Soludo administration’s
drive to promote culture and tourism in Anambra State.
“The way this cultural festival of Abatete,
called the Omaliko Festival, ties into the culture of Anambra State and the
promotion of culture by the Anambra State Government is very fundamental,” Mefor
said.
According to him, "the festival is used to
commemorate the existence of Abatete as a town. It underlines what defines
Abatete as a society and embodies everything Abatete stood for in ancient times.
"The advent of Christianity and its
adoption of January 1st as New Year created no conflict for Abatete. Abatete
has embraced modernity. Over 99.9% of Abatete people are Christians—Christians
in the strictest sense of the word. We have dozens of Abatete sons and
daughters who are priests and nuns. That shows we take Christianity seriously.
But we also do not want to abandon our culture, because we do not see the
celebration of Omaliko as contradicting culture, tradition, or even
Christianity.”
He maintained that the festival now promotes
unity, respect, and everything good, without negative elements. “If you notice,
it is devoid of anything negative—just masquerades, people visiting one
another, friends coming from all over. The Commissioner for Culture,
Entertainment and Tourism is here, and that shows we are not doing anything
anti-government, anti-modernity, or anti-progress.”
He said that the community has transformed
Omaliko into a carnival to suit modern times and engage the younger generation.
“ We have long removed anything that contradicts Christianity. By that process,
the Omaliko Festival has been ‘baptized.’ It is now done in line with modernity
and everything good.”
“It is no longer just a festival. We have
transformed it into a carnival so that our children can gather and see where we
are coming from and where we are heading", he said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Culture,
Entertainment and Tourism, Mr. Udoji Amedu, said the Soludo administration was
building structures to
partner with any community ready to develop its
cultural assets.
He advised the people to uphold everything good
and remove anything bad in relation to the festival and encouraged youths of
the community to embrace hardwork to succeed in life.
In their separate remarks, the representative of
the traditional ruler of Abatete, Igwe Engr Emeka Efobi,
Chief Emmanuel Edeluga, (Ichie Okaka Osuofia), Chief Hyacinth Ilonze
(Ichie Okaka Kpakpando Abatate) and Chief Okey Muo-Aroh (Ike Akatakwụanị),
appreciated the people for their interest in upholding their culture,
adding that the festival has become a social catalyst and agent of
socialisation that reminds them of their roots.
The event featured cultural displays, masquerade
performances, and visits by indigenes and friends of Abatete .
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