Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos holds Annual New Yam Festival (Iriji) Sept. 25

.(L-r) Women Leader (ISCL) ,Chief (Mrs.) Kate Ugoka; President, Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos (ISCL) Chief Sunday Udeh, and Deputy President (ISCL),Chief Hyacinth Nwaode , during a press Conference on the forth coming Annual New Yam Festival scheduled to take place on Saturday,25th September held on September 23, 2021..PHOTO: CHINYERE IKEANYI

President of the Igbo-Speaking Community, Chief Sunday Udeh, has said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu would be the Guest of Honour while Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa is the Guest Speaker Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, at the Igbo Speaking Community in Lagos Annual New Yam Festival (Iriji) on Saturday, September 25 at Abalti Barracks, Surulere.

Speaking at a Press Conference on Thursday, Chief Udeh said the Chief Guest of Honour would be Chief (Barrister) Allen Onyema, while the Royal Father of the day is HRH Oba Rilwan Akiolu, the Oba of Lagos

On what the New Yam Festival is, Chief Udeh explained: “The event is Iriji Ndigbo, New Yam Festival. New Yam festival is like thanksgiving. When you cultivate anything as a farmer, within one year you must do thanksgiving to God. This is what Igbo normally do every year. It is tradition and culture. When you see Igbo people, they don’t just go to farm, harvest yam and start eating, they first present it to God”.

He further said: “So, by this new yam festival, we are inviting all Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Lagosians to come and witness this festival coming up on Saturday. I’m also using this medium to inform anybody to disregard whatever fake information is posted in the social media regarding the festival. The Iriji on September 25 still stands; we want all our invitees to come”.

Assuring the people that there will be security in place to protect lives, “I want to appeal to the Yoruba, the Oba of Lagos will be there, Oni of Ife will be there and all other dignitaries invited are expected to be there”.

“I also want to use this opportunity to inform all and sundry that Igbo-speaking Community in Lagos is in charge of New Yam Festival. And as a President-General of Igbo speaking community in Lagos, I want to tell all the local government chairmen to mobilise their local governments. We are in all the local governments. We have chapters in all 20 local governments and 37 Local Council Development Authorities (LCDAs), which means we control over four million people of Ndigbo here in Lagos.

“So, on Saturday, you will see over 1 million people that will come to celebrate New Yam Festival. We don’t have a problem with anybody, we don’t have a faction, Igbo community remains one. There is no two Igbo speaking community in Lagos. As long as we are concerned, we are law-abiding citizens. So, we must obey the law and all the COVID-19 protocols will be adhered to. I always tell people, whatever thing you are doing, be honest”, the Igbo-speaking community in Lagos President stated.

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