In a move to boost culture and tourism, as well as dignify and uphold the Igbo tradition and culture, the Enugu State Government has unveiled an imposing Ijele masquerade metal sculpture at Onuasata Roundabout, Obiagu, Enugu.Performing the unveiling at a ceremony, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, extolled the Enugu State governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, for his massive infrastructural facelifts of Enugu, which he said was restoring the glory and place of the Coal City as the headquarters of Ndigbo and the entire former Eastern Region.
Achebe said that the sculpture represented the rich cultural heritage of the great people of Igbo land, who see the Ijele masquerade as a valuable and magnificent masquerade, noting that the Ijele, which enjoys the respect of every other masquerade in Igbo land, is embedded with everything pertaining to humanity.
“Unarguably, Enugu is the headquarters of the Igbo land. It was God that destined it to be so. On that note, anything that will make Enugu to be great is of utmost importance to every Igbo man, and that is why I am here.
“Ijele masquerade is the biggest of all the masquerades, and it is peculiar to Anambra and Enugu State, and there is a reason we own the masquerade. Everything pertaining to humans is in Ijele, and the story surrounding it is endless. That was the reason it is regarded as the biggest.
“So, we thank Governor Peter Mbah, who is also an Ijele himself, for making this possible and for making the state and Igboland a beautiful place,” the highly respected royal father, Agbogidi, stated.