{"id":86591,"date":"2021-10-03T18:01:53","date_gmt":"2021-10-03T17:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=86591"},"modified":"2021-10-03T18:01:53","modified_gmt":"2021-10-03T17:01:53","slug":"obi-of-onitsha-commences-seclusion-ahead-annual-ofala-festival-prays-for-return-of-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/obi-of-onitsha-commences-seclusion-ahead-annual-ofala-festival-prays-for-return-of-peace\/","title":{"rendered":"Obi of Onitsha commences seclusion ahead annual Ofala festival, prays for return of peace\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"m#msg-f:1712617184646151243\" class=\"mail-message expanded\">\n<div class=\"mail-message-header spacer\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Obi of Onitsha, has commenced the annual rites of &#8220;Inyedo Ukwu na Nlo Eze Onicha\u2019\u2019.<\/div>\n<div class=\"mail-message-content collapsible zoom-normal mail-show-images \" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<div class=\"clear\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">\nThis is contained in Igwe in-council proclamation released by Chinyelugo Osita Anionwu, Chief of Staff to The Obi of Onitsha.<\/p>\n<p>The rites would end on, Oct. 5, the eve of Ofala Eze Onicha. This is the period when the monarch goes into a trance in total seclusion to commune with the ancestors in supplication to God for the forgiveness of communal transgressions.<\/p>\n<p>It also included prayers against wrongdoings over the past year, as well as pray for a peaceful and bounteous year ahead for his community.<\/p>\n<p>He would also be praying fervently for God\u2019s mercy for the end of the turmoil, violence, and hardship that have befallen the country in general, and Anigbo in particular.<\/p>\n<p>Igwe Achebe would also pray for the return of peace, mutual love and respect, justice, fairness, and equity as the fundamental prerequisites for stemming the anger, frustration and bitterness that had enveloped the country<\/p>\n<p>However, because of the imperative to sustain the COVID-19 protocols for personal and public hygiene and safety in the face of the prevailing third, and more virulent, wave of the pandemic, Igwe Achebe in council proclaimed that Ofala Eze Onicha on Oct. 6 would be marked with modesty, devoid of the usual fanfare, colour, pomp, and pageantry.<\/p>\n<p>The festival had become a global hallmark of the ancient festival. Also, there will be no Azu Ofala celebration.<\/p>\n<p>The Owuwa-Ji (New Yam) Festival, which commenced on Sept. 24 would end on Oct. 21 with Ikelebe-ji (the new yam celebration by the monarch) will similarly be observed modestly.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is the hope and prayer of His Majesty and the people of Onitsha that the challenges of this year will come to pass, and circumstances will enable these festivals to return to normal, next year, which will be his 20th anniversary on the throne of his ancestors.\u2019\u2019\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mail-message-footer spacer collapsible\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Obi of Onitsha, has commenced the annual rites of &#8220;Inyedo Ukwu na Nlo Eze Onicha\u2019\u2019. This is contained in Igwe in-council proclamation released by Chinyelugo Osita Anionwu,&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":86592,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Obi of Onitsha commences seclusion ahead annual Ofala festival, prays for return of peace\u00a0 - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/obi-of-onitsha-commences-seclusion-ahead-annual-ofala-festival-prays-for-return-of-peace\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Obi of Onitsha commences seclusion ahead annual Ofala festival, prays for return of peace\u00a0 - Pointblank News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Obi of Onitsha, has commenced the annual rites of &#8220;Inyedo Ukwu na Nlo Eze Onicha\u2019\u2019. 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