In a bid to promote culture and tourism and uphold the Igbo tradition and culture, the traditional ruler of Onitsha ancient Kingdom, Anambra state, Nigeria, His Royal Majesty,Igwe Engr Alfred Achebe(Agbogidi) Obi of Onitsha ,Thursday, unveiled the Ijele’ masquerade metal sculpture located at the popular Onu Asata, roundabout in Enugu, describing the Governor of Enugu state, Dr Peter as p “ijele’
( big masquerade).
Pox: HRM Igwe Achebe in white( middle)
Unveiling the sculpture on behalf of Enugu state Government, the Royal father said he was called upon and he answered with a sense of humility..
Describing Enugu as a home of the Igbo people, Igwe Achebe said, ,” Enugu is the capital of South East, God made it that way. Anything that will make Enugu good, will be welcomed’.
Pix: The Ijele’ masquerade
On the concept of Ijele’, the Obi of Onitsha said, Ijele’ is a big masquerade. It is so big that every part of it is unique and of significance.Anambra and Enugu states were the states that display Ijele’ masquerade. Enugu State Governor ,Dr. Peter Mbah is an Ijele’ himself,” he
His words,” “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,” Igwe Achebe said
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He commended Governor Mbah for His good governance in the state.which he said was restoring the glory and place of the Coal City as the headquarters of Ndigbo and the entire former Eastern Region.
Earlier, in her opening remarks, the Chairman of Enugu state Tourism Board, Rita Mbah said the Ijele’ sculpture was sited at Onu Asata junction because ” Onu Asata is an iconic junction”.
She said the place was a center where people gathered to view masquerades during festive periods. She called for a minute silence for the repose of an ogene music artist, and promoter of Igbo culture, Igbojar who hailed from Ogui – Nike, Enugu
Pix: Rita Mbah( 2,nd Left)
The Chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, who also doubles as the Chairman of the South East Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Samuel Asadu, said that the traditional rulers of the region were present at the event because of the dignity the sculpture accords to culture of the people, describing the ceremony as an epoch-making event aimed at telling the world the richness of Igbo culture and the significance of the masquerade to the land.
“We, the traditional rulers in Enugu State and indeed the South East, are here to witness this epoch-making event that signifies our culture. We thank the governor for his good work in the state. This signifies our rich cultural heritage,” he said.
In an interview , the Sculptor, Sunday Chukwu expressed joy that the Ijele masquerade’ had been unveiled.
His words,” Am glad . The Ijele’ masquerade has finally come out as the biggest masquerade in the world. Very beautiful piece which I did and am very, very excited that it has come to pass and I really thank His Everything Dr. Peter Mbah, who has given me the opportunity to do this work . This is just the beginning of what we can do . I hope that by God’s grace, we will replicate monumental piece like this in different places His Excellency would want us to go.”, he said.
The University of Benin trained sculptor ,obtained a Masters Degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He has practiced for over 12 years
“Pix: The Ijele’ masquerade Sculptor, . Sunday Chukwu.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Enugu East Traditional Rulers, and the traditional ruler of Ibagwa Nike Community, Igwe Emmanuel Ugwu, appreciated the governor and his team for upholding the culture of the people with the unveiling of the Ijele boldly erected in the land of the Nike people.
“This place we are standing is a centre where the Nike people gather to celebrate their masquerades. Every traditional ruler is Ijele; every leader is Ijele. This is a way of attracting tourists to know that Enugu is a cultural home where you can come and have fun. Enugu is a very important city and an administrative headquarters, not only of the present-day South East, but the defunct Eastern Region, and at a point the entire South except Lagos. So, today, the governor did something unique by highlighting the place of Ijele and the place of Enugu in our history,” he added.
The concept behind this work is that the Ogui people are known for their Ogene and masquerades. Enugu people are generally known for their culture. So, we decided to put this wonderful edifice here. Do not forget that this is a place where Enugu people and tourists alike converge during festive periods to watch masquerades. For that reason, we deemed it fit to put this wonderful Ijele masquerade here,” Mbah said.
They all spoke on the importance of promoting Igbo culture. The Royal fathers commended Governor Mbah for his good works in Enugu state.
Author: Maureen Ikpeama
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