Amichi Stands Still For Senator In The Making , Chief Maja Umeh As He Celebrates New Yam In Grand Style

 Rev Fr Dr Anajeme , Chief Maja Umeh, and Wife and former APGA Scribe/Lands Commissioner CJ Okoli-Akirika

                                           Cross section of Guests at the occasion

             Umeh flaked by House member Nnewi South 1, Iruba and Okoli-Akirika

It was all jubilation at Amichi in Nnewi South Local Government Area, Anambra State as the former commissioner for Information, culture and Tourism, Anambra state  and a Senator in the making to represent Anambra Senatorial Senatorial zone ,Chief Maja Umeh celebrated his new Yam festival (Iwa ji) in grand style.

This year’s Ili Ji Okwoaka Amichi, held recently was special and at the same time remarkable, as he used one arrow to kill two birds.

Okwoaka Amichi, who celebrated the year’s event in grand style used it to thank his people for the tremendous support he received from them while in office as commissioner and informed his people about his intention to vie for the senatorial seat to represent Anambra senatorial district.

It was a mixed crowd of  the kings, nobles, rich, poor and commoners, who gathered to honour the invitation of Okwoaka Amichi.

The event which took place at the expansive compound of the Okwoaka saw in attendance the traditional rulers in Amichi and environs known to be culture friendly.

Another thing that marked out this year’s new yam lunch of Okwoaka Amichi was the thanksgiving mass held earlier in the compound.

Preaching the sermon at the service, Rev. Fr. Dr. Humphry Anameje of St. Francis of Asisi Ozubulu called on the people to always remember that whatever they are or have come from God and to Him should all the glory return and not to idols.

He commended Umeh for realizing that and opting to have a thanksgiving mass to thank God for the gift of good harvest and food rather than going to the idols to make sacrifices.

Rev. Fr. Anameje said, “God has given us individual talents and his grace has always been with us. It is important that we remember to be responsible and hard working and to do things at the right time. “It is wrong to see our culture as being bad. This celebration today calls us to be honest, to know that having known Christ we should maintain our culture in the light of Christ as it would be heartbreaking for us to give thanks meant for Christ to idols.”

After the service came the new yam lunch proper as the chief celebrant, Chief Umeh officially came out to the arena in the attire known only for the nobles, with the Igba dance group escorting him to move round to welcome his visitors as he waved to the crowd, after which he took his seat, an ancient seat meant for the nobles alone and he happened to be the only one that day.

He prayed for the entire community and his guests with the kolanuts, blessing them and urging God to keep all alive to celebrate the next year’s festival which he said would be greater.

After the prayers, he was helped by the royal fathers to officially eat the new yam.

Speaking to Odogwu Media on the celebration, Chief Umeh said, “Today as the Okwoaka Amichi, I am celebrating my annual new yam lunch (Ili ji Okwoaka Amichi). I normally have lunch traditionally one week after the traditional ruler of my community had done the Iwa ji, the Okwoaka Amichi will normally celebrate the new yam. It’s a mark of thanksgiving to God for the life he has given us in the year and for the gift of food and for all other things, good
health and the rest of them. “

"But today, this year’s own is different in that I have invited our people also to thank them for all their support when I
was the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in Anambra State and also inform them of my intention to contest for Senate come 2015.
So, it is a two way thing, am thanking my people and celebrating a new yam in thanksgiving to God, that’s why everybody is here.”

On the title Okwoaka, he said, “Okwoaka Amichi is my grandfather’s title, so I am sitting on my grandfather’s throne. Is a mark of nobility, it’s a throne of nobility in Amichi.”

The climax of the event was the paying of homage to the Okwoaka which saw groups and individuals, including the royals bringing gifts to his feet while he sat on his noble seat and blessed them as they came. Indeed Chief umeh is the quientessential Senator in the waiting , God willing.

Written by  Emeka Onwudinjo