The National President General of the Uratta Development Association (UDA) Chief Stanley Ukaga has said that adequate security arrangements are being made in the entire communities of the Uratta clan to ensure a successful “Onwa Oru’ festival.
Ukaga declared in a chat with newsmen in his Uratta country home on Wednesday that the festival already scheduled to be held this week on Saturday will involve a large number of security personnel from all the security agencies in the state that will be on the ground and on patrol to provide the needed security to avoid any miscreants during the event.
He said, “The 2023 festival recorded huge success, and I believed that with these arrangements on the ground, this year’s event would be awesome.”.
On the crisis brewing up between the Uratta Development Association and Ndi-Oha (traditional kingmakers), the PG dismissed such claims, adding that there has not been any kind of interference on Ndi-Oha by the UDA whatsoever.
Hs explained that the date for the annual festival is usually pronounced by the Chief Priest, Oha Peter Emeribe, as enshrined in the constitution, while Ndi-Oha performed their traditional rights without the interference of UDA
According to him, with ‘Ndi Oha’ having already performed their traditional rights, it is left for the cultural activities to be in charge by the UDA to be held at the Orie Uratta ancestral venue for the event.
He insisted that the ceremony would go on irrespective of false claims and views of certain people in the community who have chosen to create obstructions for the festival
He explained the significance of the festival, which is the signalling of the formal commencement of a new farming season in the community immediately after the festival.
According to him, during the festive period, there would be no kind of fighting or quarrelling by any man or woman in the community.
The National President General said that during the ceremony, the traditional ruler of the Obibi autonomous community, as the most senior in the ranking of the 10 communities in Uratta including Obibi Utatta, Umuori, Umualum, Amakohia, Orji, Owa Elu, Owa Ala, Akwakuma, Umunahu, and Okwu Uratta, will make a pronouncement, and after which the UDA will take over from there and the ceremony will continue.
Ukaga said that the major focus of his administration is to make the Uratta Community a greater nation than it was previously.
He said, “Prior to my assumption of office, I have discovered that ‘Ndi Oha’ has only 3 members, but we have been able to add 10 new members to ‘Ndi Oha’ representing the 10 communities in Uratta.”
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