𝗘𝗬𝗜𝗥𝗜-𝗘𝗬𝗜 𝗢𝗕𝗢𝗛𝗜𝗔: 𝗔 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗦𝗘
𝘉𝘺: 𝘋𝘰𝘯𝘞𝘪𝘴 Every August, the ancient town of Obohia Ekwerazu in Ahiazu Mbaise LGA, Imo State, comes alive with the vibrant celebration of Eyiri-Eyi, a sacred cultural festival passed down by generations. This annual event is more than a mere gathering — it is the heart of Obohia’s identity, a time-honoured tradition that serves as a spiritual, cultural, and communal compass for its people and even for neighbouring communities. But this year’s edition has sparked unrest and controversy, as a faction within the organizing committee—allegedly influenced by political interests—has unilaterally shifted the festival date to August 16th, defying the age-long custom and provoking the outrage of cultural custodians, elders, and true sons and daughters of Obohia. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗡𝗸𝘄𝗼 𝗢𝗯𝗼𝗵𝗶𝗮 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 Historically, Eyiri-Eyi Obohia is celebrated between the 𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟭𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁, anchored around 𝗡𝗸...