Info For You Lot Oru-Owerri Festival: Historical As Well As Cultural Celebration Of Life, Peace, Dear As Well As Unity Alongside Igbo People Of Owerri Municipal Inward Imo State, Nigeria

Oru-Owerri festival is a festival together with cultural carnival celebrated annually past times the Igbo people (ndi-igbo) of 5 traditional Owerri villages inward Owerri municipality of Imo nation inward Nigeria. The festival which is also known as the 'traditional Christmas' of the people of Owerri, is inward remembrance of the founding of Owere (Owerri) historically, well-nigh 1463 AD or thereabout but inward the 14th century past times Ekwem Oha Arugo. The primary importance of this festival is the celebration of life, beloved together with oneness alongside the people of Owere nchi ise community.

Celebration of Oru-Owerri festival at Imo State inward Nigeria. By http://infotainment9ja.blogspot.com/

It is this festival that brand Owerri Municipal to live the utmost hub of cultural activities or the melting dot of civilization together with tradition in Imo State. The Owerri festival which is celebrated inward July every twelvemonth together with lasts for a week, commences with roasting together with eating of especial yams.

Procession of Owerri manlike individual historic menses flat grouping during the celebration of Oru-Owerri festival at Owerri Municpal inward Imo State, Nigeria. By http://infotainment9ja.blogspot.com

Culture or tradition of a item community cannot live consummate without ane tracing the source of the people that exercise the culture. The civilization of Owerri people cannot live completed without ane tracing a lilliputian of their history. Ekwema, the begetter of 5 children, had squabble with his kindred patch living with them at a identify called Uratta which is real closed to Owerri. History has it that the problem which ensued betwixt Ekwema together with his kindred led Ekwema to locomote into self-imposed exile with his 5 children. While wandering inward the large forest, his children became hungry together with wanted to eat before continuing their journey. They eventually arrived at Ugwu which is at nowadays popularly known as Ugwu-Ekwema where Ekwema settled together with roasted yam together with fed his children.

Procession of woman individual historic menses flat grouping during the Oru-Owerri festival at Owerri Municipal inward Imo State, Nigeria. By http://infotainment9ja.blogspot.com

After eating, they became thirsty together with wanted H2O to drink. Apparently worried past times the province of affairs they institute themselves, they began to search for H2O around the expanse until they were able to line Otamiri river which source began at Egbu, close Owerri. At the cease of this, they came dorsum to settle downward inward Owerri having institute Otamiri river as a source of their drinking water. Ekwema had 5 children namely Amawom, Umurorojo, Umuodum, Umuoyima together with Umuonyeche which later on metamorphosed into Owere Nchi-ise villages that brand upwardly Owerri community with His Royal Highness,Eze Emmanuel Njemanze Osuruigbo V. Any of import personality that visited Imo State without a courtesy telephone band to the traditional ruler Owerri volition live regarded as having non completed his visit. He commands honor inward Imo State.

Overlord of Owerri, His Royal Highness,Eze Emmanuel Njemanze Osuruigbo V

Oru Owere is the kings festival which is marked past times a menses of the observance of peace, love, friendliness together with togetherness, all these devoid of bitterness, quarrels, antagonism together with physical confrontation. No weeping when decease occurs during the period, no firing of cannon together with it's a fourth dimension to brand upwardly quarrels. Before the commencement of the festival, a twoscore solar daytime together with twoscore night-period is unremarkably declared inward training for it. During this period, in that location volition live absolute peace, beloved together with unity alongside both indigenes together with non-indigenes living inward Owere. Whoever makes problem at this fourth dimension is liable to certainly punishment. If you lot crusade someone to sustain injury during fighting together with it happens that blood comes out of the person, that individual volition live inward problem together with heavy penalization awaits the individual past times the Owerri people for violating their culture.

Igbo people of Owerri municipal. By http://infotainment9ja.blogspot.com

About 2 to 3 weeks before the commencement of the primary festival, each menage unit of measurement is expected to roast old yam together with invite friends to bring together it to eat the yam inside the family. The corn porridge amusement together with the solar daytime marker the cease of the menses which are ever Orie marketplace days. Between the roasting of old yam (Oru Owere proper) together with the corn porridge repast is the GRAND FINALE which is characterized past times a colourful procession of AGE GRADE formations inward Owerri Community through a given route inward the old city.

Each historic menses flat during the festival has its traditional attire to march the occasion. Both men together with women of each historic menses flat necktie wrapper together with white shirt to march the ceremony. They start their procession at a identify they telephone band Oha-Owerri where they commence their procession to major streets together with roads inward Owerri together with finally terminate the procession which involves each of the historic menses grades to Ukwu Ekwema where Ekwema roasted yam to feed his children patch they were looking for a identify to settle down.

Ndi-igbo Owerri age-grade gild members inward procession on the streets of Owerri Municipal with a a fellow member carrying mamiwata carving. By http://infotainment9ja.blogspot.com

At Ukwu–Ekwe, the traditional ruler of Owere performs his purplish constituent past times slicing roasted yam to declare opened upwardly the festival to the admiration of people who come upwardly to witness the ceremony. And roasted piece yams volition live given to the people who come upwardly to Ugwu Ekwema.
Invited guests are received together with made to stimulate got a experience of Oru Owerri with traditional dances, displays together with entertained. the foremost item of amusement after the breaking of kolanuts past times the King is the roasting of old yam.
The Owerri indigenes are gratuitous together with begins to eat the novel yam after the MKPU KPU OZU (Corn Porridge) which is the solar daytime that marks the get-go of the NEW CALENDAR YEAR inward Igbo Culture.

Masquerade trip the calorie-free fantastic toe at Oru-Owerri festival inward Imo State,Nigeria

ORU-OWERRI FESTIVAL
Indeed, culture, when considered holistically, clearly identified the way of life of the people. These include their beliefs, social norms together with other modes of existence, clearly manifested inward ordinary daily life situations. The Europeans arrived with their religious together with mercantile exploits inward Igboland. Some telephone band this "European civilization". The local civilization later on started suffering systematic reversal and, inward some cases, outright extinction. One of the traditional observances that resisted the European together with Christian attack was Oru Owere - celebrated past times indigenes of Owerri, their friends together with well-wishers.

History of Owerri
From the Palace (Ibari) of Eze Owere His Majesty Pharm. (Dr.) Emmanuel Emenvonu Niemanze Ozuruigbo of Owerri OON, FPSN,
KSC. Paramount Ruler of Owerri
KNOWING ABOUT OWERRI AND ITS ORIGIN

His Royal Majesty, Eze Emmanuel Emenyonu Njemanze (Ozuruigbo the fifth of Owerri).

Owerri was founded well-nigh the 14th century past times our founding begetter Ekwem Oha.
His mother's yell was Arugo.
He fled from Umuori Village, Uratta inward Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State when his life was threatened past times his younger blood brother Ndum. The threat to his life arose from the dispute over the sharing of the Funeral Cow slaughtered when their begetter Oha the aristocrat together with embodiment of royalty died. The foremost boy (Opara inward Igbo) Ekwem was to render the funeral moo-cow as demanded past times custom. He did non stimulate got the agency to do so. He appealed to his younger blood brother Ndum popularly known as Ndumoha to purchase the cow, which he did. Ndum asked for the head, pump together with other parts of the moo-cow that locomote to the foremost boy inward keeping with custom. His argue beingness that he Ndum, bought the funeral cow. Ekwem turned downward his asking together with a quarrel ensued. The elders (Oha Uratta) were invited to settle the dispute. They did so past times allowing tradition to prevail. Ekwem was'entitled to the aforementioned parts of the moo-cow beingness the foremost son. Ndum did non accept kindly to this together with so planned to kill Ekwem inward monastic enjoin to stimulate got his way. The plot leaked together with Ekwem fled with his menage unit of measurement at the dead of the black to Egbu a neighboring town (Community) taking with them some stores together with domestic assistants. History has it that his sis was married at Egbu. His sis fearing that Ndum may appear for him asked him to locomote on his journeying to an unknown together with uninhabited Earth for security together with settle in that location permanently. They laid out during the black with the aid of owa (native torch) together with arrived at a loma make at nowadays known as Ugwu Ekwema together with settled there. They heaved a sigh of relief maxim OWERELA IHE MARAYA AKA pregnant HE HAS TAKEN WHAT IS HIS RIGHT or what rightly belonged to him. He sounded the drum (as he was told past times his sister) to signal his location. His sis was happy to locate him together with his menage unit of measurement the next morning. She returned to Egbu thereafter.
The morning time broke together with they took their foremost repast roast old yam together inward a typical communion fashion (not served) with cheers to Almighty together with merciful Father our Lord God for their safety, the thick wood inward the expanse beingness infested with unsafe animals such as lions, tigers together with snakes similar pythons, vipers together with cobras.

THE NAME OWERRI (OWERE)
The advent of the British saw the anglicizing of Owere to Owerri but pronounced as though it was spelt Owere. All the neighboring towns (communities) of Owerri were founded together with existed on planet world centuries or decades before Owerri came into existence. It is a God given Earth (DESTINY LAND beingness the slogan for Owerri Municipal) together with has remained protected with all the people therein past times the same God Almighty.
The British institute them real laid upwardly clean people. Recall the presence of Nwaorie and
Otamiri rivers flanking Owerri on the West together with South respectively. Owerri people
were caring, friendly together with accommodating thus *:he selection of Owerri past times the
British Colonial Government as first, Divisional Headquarters later on Provincial
Headquarters together with today a nation uppercase of Municipal status. It is lamentable to depository fiscal establishment complaint what
the so-called modern applied scientific discipline inward culverting had done to both Nwaorie and
Otamiri rivers at the creation of Imo nation inward 1976 when Owerri became the state
capital. The fine bridges that flew across the rivers that ane time flowed with beauty
were pulled downward to give way to the culverts which were perhaps
unprofessionally constructed. The rivers are at nowadays almost stagnant together with would
require millions of Naira to dredge. The influence of the 2 rivers on the culture
of Owerri people is at nowadays historical.

THE FESTIVAL OR FEAST OF OWERRI INDGENES - ORU OWERE

Oru Owere the annual festival or feast of Owerri indigenes cannot live written
without reference to the founding of Owerri. It has been mentioned before that
the foremost repast of the founding begetter of Owere together with his menage unit of measurement was roast old yam,
which they ate with stone oil edible bean salad at Ugwu Ekwema (Ekwema's hill) Our ancestral
home.
After breakfast on arriving together with settling at Ugwu Ekwema, in that location was the demand for
H2O for obvious reasons. They knew that the source of Otamiri was at Egbu but
were ignorant of the class of the river owing to t(ie thick pelting wood of the area.
The communities or towns through which Otamirii flowed, were also known. It is
mutual cognition that peculiar sounds or noise|s are feature of running
H2O from streams together with rivers. That was Ekwem's experience that morning. He
ordered his men to role the management of the sounds/noise to run into if whatever could be
sighted. They obeyed his wishing together with past times surprise stumbled on Otamiri river, closed to
where Emmanuel College Owerri at nowadays stands. They ran dorsum inward excitement to
Ugwu Ewema together with broke the word of the presence of what they described as
OGBU AMUMA - a pleasant early on morning time sunrise experience of flashing rays of
the Sun on the waters of Otamiri river reminiscent:of the historical problem concern human relationship of the
sighting of River Niger past times the Scottish Explorer Mungo Park- GLITTERING IN THE
MORNING SUN.
OTAMIRI RIVER SIGHTED: Ekwem directly commissioned his men to clear the route to the river -IKPU UZO. The route cleared after which he feasted them with corn porridge.

TWO REMARKEABLE EVENTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON OWERRI (OWERE) CULTURE

The roasting of old yams the foremost repast together with the! corn repast amusement developed into a cultural festival or feast ORU OWERE with which indigenes commemorate the founding of Owerri. These events tell the floor of the founding of Owerri together with the fourth dimension or menses of the twelvemonth Owerri was founded viz the old yam together with corn meal, which are commonly consumed at that fourth dimension of the year, the rainy season. Worthy of depository fiscal establishment complaint is the fact that the yam is old non novel yam, as novel yam had non even so been harvested. Therefore Oru Owere is non novel yam festival.

ORU OWERE (ORU EZE)

Oru Owere is Oru Eze (the Eze's festival). The festival js marked past times a menses of the observance of peace, love, friendliness together with togetherness, devoid of bitterness, quarrels, antagonism together with physical confrontation, no weeping when decease occurs during the period, no firing of cannon together with a fourth dimension to brand upwardly quarrels without tertiary political party intervention as stipulated past times custom. However Oha Owere is the traditional establishment responsible for its acquit together with yearly observance. They determine the commencement of the menses past times a arrangement handed downward past times our ancestors. The duration of the menses is as guided) past times the same system. All the fundamental events namely the get-go of the period, the roasting of the old yam, the corn porridge amusement (MKPU KPU UZO) together with the solar daytime marker the cease of the menses are Orie marketplace days. The menses begins inward the calendar month of June together with lasts till mid August. Between the roasting of old yam (Oru Owere Proper) together with the corn porridge repast is the GRAND FINALE characterized past times a colourful procession of historic menses flat formations inward Owerri community through given routes inward the Old City. The Civic procession assembles at Ugwu Ekwema Civic Center (the civic middle of Owerri Community) from where it talks off together with terminates at the cease of the procession where invited guests are received together with made to stimulate got a experience of Oru Owere with traditional dances displays together with entertainment. The foremost item of amusement after the breaking of kolanuts past times Eze Ojwere is roast old yam. Ugwu Ekwema is our ancestral habitation which significance informed our selection of locating the Community Civic Center.
Perhaps the reader may wishing to know when Owerri indigenes are gratuitous to eat the New Yam. The eating of the novel yam past times Owerp indigenes commence the solar daytime directly after MKPU KPU OZU which is the solar daytime that marks the get-go of the novel calendar twelvemonth inward Igbo culture.
Accordingly, it is pertinent to depository fiscal establishment complaint that Owerri people the indigenes of the capital
of Imo nation do non celebrate the New Yam.
When growth inward population began, in that location was the demand to expand to other fronts. The sons of Ekwem together with their families moved away from the ancestral habitation at Ugwu Ekwema, to unlike directions inside the confines of the 2 rivers closed to each other with their families leading to the growth together with evolution of the villages of Owerri which derived their names from the sons of Ekwem. The grave of Ekwem stands prominently on the grounds of Ugwu Ekwem Civic Center. Ikenegbu was the foremost boy followed past times Onyeche, Odu together with their sis Oyima thus the villages namely;

Umuororonjo
Amawom Children of Ikenegbu Umuonyeche
Umuodu
Umuoyima

The villages were named after the sons together with missy of the founder. Information has it that well-nigh viii to 10 villages emerged. Some were sacked together with others migrated away to places far together with close inward Igbo Land, East together with westward of the Niger with Owerri featuring inward the yell of their novel hometowns as Owere inward Diaspora. In recent times some persons who are non indigenes of Owerri, the nation uppercase together with who stimulate got never written or published for world consumption whatever historical problem concern human relationship of the founding or source of their habitation town or communities stimulate got larn Owereologists who give unprecedented calculated imitation together with hopelessly distorted problem concern human relationship of the source of Owerri as though Owerri town or community which was inward existence centuries before the British expedition inward 1901 had no known origin. Her indigenes are non past times accident of nativity but divine providence. Owerri is non a geographical expression. It has a local setting given past times the indigenes. It is non a meeting or displace of people from unlike places meeting to settle inward a identify or a identify mixed with occupiers together with intruders or invaders. It is founded through ane individual together with his family. Prior to the early on eighties of the finally century, Owerri people the indigenes of uppercase of Imo nation did non intermarry for the argue of ane blood.
Owerri people are peace loving, real friendly, dq non discriminate against whatever ethnic or tribal grouping together with care for you lot inward a way to a greater extent than affectionate than they do to their brothers together with sisters. They are non criminal or vehement past times nature. Those who come upwardly to Owerri to locomote or detect a source of livelihood come upwardly to remain together with non to render from whence they came for her peace together with security.

KNOWING MORE ABOUT OWERRI

If you lot are inward Imo State without knowing something well-nigh Owerri, the State Capital, your cognition of the State is hopelessly incomplete.
The facts to note. Owerrl i.e. Owerrl Municipal the uppercase of Imo State
A. The advent of the British - 1901
B. The Monarchy - the finally quarter of the 17th century well-nigh 1670-1680.
The Title of the Eze of Owerrl - OZURUIGBO (The King whose say-so spans a
large expanse of Igboland).

The foremost Rex that is, the Eze-Eze Eke Onunwa

1. Eze Eke Onunwa

1690 - 1735

2. Eze Okorie Onunwa

1735 - 1788

3. Eze Iheancho Okorie Onunwa

1788 - 1845

4. Eze Njemanze Iheanacho Okorie Onunwa Ozurigbo the First

1845 - 1920

5. Eze Ihemeje Njemanze

1921 - 1931

6. Eze Onwuegbuchulam Njemanze

1931 - 1941

7. Eze Johnson Osuji Njemanze Ozuruigbo the 2nd

1941 - 1965

8. Eze Reverend Samuel Njemanze

1966 - 1970

9. Eze Reginald Anugwolu Njemanze Ozuruigbo the 3rd

1970 - 1976

10. Eze Alexuis Anumaku Njemanze Ozuruigbo the|4th

1976 - 1988

11. Eze Emmanuel Emenyonu Njemanze Ozuruigbo the 5th

is at nowadays on the throne as Ozuruigbo the fifth past times title, the eighth Njemanze on the throne together with 11th Rex of Owerrl, was crowned on the 11th of Nov 1989 (11/11/89) About 1840-1850, the kindred's of Eke Onunwa an;d Okorie Onunwa agreed to exit the crown permanently with the Njemanze menage unit of measurement together with became the kingmakers of Owerrl who determine the Njemanze that wears the crown. The oldest human from the lineage of Akalonu Okorie kindred crowns the Eze of Owerrl.

C. The British Occupation: The peace with friendliness of Owerrl people was encouraging.
The British settled together with built;
a. Military Hospital later on named African Hospital which thereafter was renamed General Hospital together with today is the Federal Medical ; Centre Owerri. The Owerri General Hospital is relocated to New Owerri inward Owerri Municipal.
b. Government School inward 1906 together with added the secondary fly now
Government Secondary School Owerrl inward 1935 together with moved the Primary School to
Wetheral Road Owerrl as Owerri Township School inward 1952.

Owerri City Nigeria

Owerri non exclusively Divisional Headquarters but became the provincial headquarters
of the Old Owerrl Province was what is at nowadays Imo, Abia addition Afikpo upwardly to Diobu in
the Rivers State. The demand to stimulate got a seaport informed the edifice of Port
Harcourt from Owerrl the Provincial headquarters. When Port Harcourt was finally
built, Delta province was carved out of Owerrl Province with Port Harcourt as its
headquarters. Note that Port Harcourt was built from Owerri as Port Harcourt never existed before the advent of the British.
Physical Features:- Owerri is a Earth approached as you lot descend hills. There are 2 rivers:- Nworie on the West flank patch Otamiri Is on the Southern flank. The 2 rivers influenced the civilization of the people, Owerri people do non fish inward Nworie River but do so inward Otamiri River, they do non eat fish from Nworie River. The source of Nworie river had a deposit of Emerald a precious corporation mineral but non inward commercial quantity. There is also Lake Nwebere at Imo State University, Owerri.

Owerri people were subsistence farmers but stimulate got since abandoned farming when
it became a State uppercase inward 1976 together with the arable lands acquired past times authorities for
other evolution projects.

Owerri is a good planned metropolis together with is listed past times the Federal authorities as ane of the planned cities inward Nigeria. It was planned past times Mr. Tetlow beingness the headquarters of Owerri province together with later on past times a Swiss Consortium - Finger Hooth together with Partners who designed New Owerri an persuasion conceived past times the foremost military machine Governor the so Commander Ndubuisi Kanu at nowadays Rear Admiral Rtd. which is indeed an extension of Owerri Urban.

Education:- Embraced instruction ab initio with schools such as the Government School, Government Secondary School Owerri together with schools both primary together with secondary built past times the missionaries - Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist etc. together with later on the Alvan Ikoku College of Education Owerri the Federal authorities Girls' College Owerri many individual together with other missiorjary secondary schools. Today in that location is Imo State University Owerri together with the Federal Polytechnic together with the Federal University of Technology Owerri inward Owerri West Local Government Area.

All the missionaries stimulate got cathedrals e.g the Anglican, Catholic together with Methodist together with the Pentecostals patch the Moslems stimulate got a Central Mosque, together with the Cherubim together with Seraphim all inward Owerri.

The Monarchy Revisited: All Traditional Institutions inward Owerri are hereditary together with do non rotate. There are no ruling houses. The establishment stands inward ane family. The hereditary arrangement is non necessarily begetter to boy but to a correspond together with proper boy of the purplish family.
The Njemanze / Owerri dynasty is a foremost flat establishment together with has been involved inward Nation Building together with took constituent inward the 1958 Constitutional Conference that ushered independence to Nigeria where Ozuruigbo of Owerri (my father) HRH Eze Johnson Osuji Njemanze represented the Old Owerri province of the quondam of Eastern Nigeria as constituent of the delegation led past times belatedly MD Nnamdi Azikiwe as did the North together with the West led past times the belatedly Ahmadu Bello together with belatedly Chief Obafemi Awolowo respectively.

Eze Njemanze Ihenacho of Owerri was the Vice chairman of the Council of the Traditional Rulers of the quondam Oil River Protectorate with Calabar as its headquarters. The Obong of Calabar was the Chairman of the Council Diplomatic Ties: Owerri monarchy had diplomatic ties with Arochukwu, Nkwere together with the Republic of Benin Kingdom.

Igbo masquerade

Oil Prospecting inward Nigeria: This began inward Owerri before the instant world war. The Second World War broke out together with it was suspended. The state of war ended together with crunch D'arcy returned to Owerri inward the forties of the finally century to locomote on the stone oil prospecting thus the crunch army camp inward Owerri. Shell was inward Owerri upwardly to the early on sixties before moving to Port Harcourt when their flat of applied scientific discipline could non strike stone oil inward Iho inward Ikeduru LG.A of Imo nation a few Kilometers away from Owerri. However, today in that location is a Chevron Rig inward Owerri but non even so commissioned.

Culture: As subsistence farmers had implements for farming, skillful crop rotation, built barns for the storage of yams, built native wooden bridges (Igbo) across the rivers to link their farm Earth across the rivers Nworie together with Otamiri, had their cultural dances, songs, moonlight songs, musical instruments, the wooden xylophone, opi or oja together with odu as air current instruments, drums together with percussions made of wood together with creature skin, clay pot instruments etc. union rites, nativity ceremonies together with funeral ceremonies penalization for crimes depending on the scene of the act.

Mbari Culture had its root inward Owerri: It is at nowadays a matter of the past times as faith had dealt a large blow on the arts together with crafts etc.
Generally religion/Christianity inward the primary relegated our culture.

source:http://www.njemanzeabroad.com/history.html