Ohafia Improvement Union Celebrates Cultural Day Festival In PH
The ancient Ohafia Community in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State has concluded arrangement to celebrates its cultural day in Port Harcourt on Saturday, November 10, 2018, at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt.
Briefing the press over the weekend in Port Harcourt, the President, Ohafia Improvement Union (OIU), Port Harcourt branch, Chief Stone Kalu, said the weeklong activities will include visitation to motherless babies home, novelty football match, visitation to prisoners, unveiling of N500milliom community project in Rivers State known as “Udumeze hall,” as well as a church thanksgiving service.
Ohafia community, which prides itself as head hunters by their ancestors, said the present day Ohafians have, however, ventured into many endeavours and made their mark, especially in their academics and occupy prestigious position as having the highest number of professors in the whole of Abia State.
Chief Kalu explained that the purpose of the cultural day is to emphasize the theme: OHAFIA as a United People, whose hope lies in making most of the land, which their ancestors have bequeathed to them.
“Youths are becoming unaware of cultural practices due to lack of cultural activities and the attached importance is also eroding them,” he said, adding that parents, who have been away from home of origin due to white collar jobs barely have much to tell their children about their culture.
The Union President made it clear that, the celebration also was to remind them of their origin and to use the medium to showcase the rich culture of Ohafia Uduemeze to non-indigenes residing in the Niger Delta region.
He further disclosed that the event will be used to launch a N500 million Ohafia Uduemeze Civic Centre which will be for multi-purpose use to strengthen the cordial relationship between them and their host in Rivers State.
The celebration, Chief Kalu informed, is expected to pull dignitaries together from all walks of life to Rivers State, including the Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and their Paramount Ruler, HRM Prof. Eze E.U.L. Amaga.
He added that the event will go a long way in reviving their sense of culture, engage their youths positively and help them embrace culture as a way of life, instead of cultism.
“The event will also generate income to the union and improve interstates relationship within the Niger Delta region,” he noted.