Ezeleke 2026: Ekpe Ezeleke cultural festival is like our own Christmas,our own religion…Eze G.C Ibeakanma
...lauds Gov Otti's giant strides,describes him as embodiment of good governance.
Ezeleke 2026: Ekpe festival is like our own Christmas,our own religion but devoid of idol worshiping…Eze G.C Ibeakanma.
….lauds Gov Otti’s giant strides,describes him as embodiment of good governance.
By: Sam Obinna Ibe/ Umuahia.
Last year, precisely,30th December,2025,HIs Royal Majesty,HRM Eze Godfrey Chikwendu Ibeakanma celebrated his twenty five years he ascended the throne of his forbears,the throne of Ezeleke autonomous community, Umuopara in Umuahia South Local Government of Abia state with fanfare and panache.
The twenty five years celebration on the throne of his great monarch from Umuopara land attracted the presence of who is who from all walks of life in Abia state from that graced the occasion .
As a prominent traditional ruler, marking his 25 years on the throne on the said day was something remarkable in his life and that of Ezeleke autonomous community chequered history.
Interestingly,the mammoth crowds and vehicular traffic that thronged to the road from 5 miles leading to his Umuojameze Royal Palace to witness the coronation anniversary of a traditional ruler of no mean personality gives a clearer picture of the status of a monarch in the class of HRM Eze G.C Ibeakanma who rarely gives out chieftaincy titles except when it is absolutely necessary to do so as attested by people who have been following his rulership trajectory.
On this score,the reverred traditional ruler had decided to use twenty fifth years on the throne anniversary to honour some deserving Abians and Nigerians alike.
As a reporter,I have had cause to cover several assignments in Eze Ibeakanma’s palace,monitored and admire the way he carries his ezeship (Kingship )enthronement with dignity,according the stool the respect it deserves while avoiding anything that will lower his reputation as a respected royal father,East of the Niger.
He had said it over and over that conferring chieftaincy titles indiscriminately every now and then whether merited or unmerited diminishes one’s status .
As a matter of fact,in one of the interview series with this reverred traditional ruler with this correspondent in his palace,he had frowned at some of his colleagues attitude on given chieftaincy titles to every Dick,Tom and Harry once or twice yearly perhaps on pecuniary considerations and material benefits asking why he should condescend so low in indulging on the proliferation of chieftaincy titles both deserving and not deserving by some traditional rulers who are in the harbit of descreating the reverred traditional stools.
The above scenario perhaps explain the reason why people trooped out in their thousands on that 30th December ,2025 who thronged his palace to see for themselves the historic made event, identified with their loved ones as
the first class traditional ruler gave out chieftaincy titles to deserving sons and daughters of Ezeleke, Umuopara and indeed Abia state.
But alas,that historic event has come and gone,the rest they say is today history worth remembering for by all and sundry.
However,on Saturday,28th March,2026, the people of Ezeleke in Umuopara celebrated their Annual Ekpe cultural festival at “Nkwoha” village square of “Ihe nwe Nkwoha ” literally meaning the people that owns Nkwoha,the traditional ruler of Ezeleke autonomous community, Umuopara,HRM Eze G.C Ibeakanma,who is a journalist’s delight any time,any day,any where granted interview to journalists in the state who visited him in his palace during the celebration of the event.
Speaking on issues bordering on Ekpe Ezeleke 2026 and politics of Abia state.,the royal father bares out his mind,
He described Ekpe Ezeleke cultural festival as an age long tradition inherited from their forefathers that one may not be able to state categorically when it actually started, adding that it was beyond history.
He noted that this Ekpe cultural festival is like their own Christmas down Umuopara where our sons and daughters wherever they live around the world come back home to celebrate it once in a year.
According to the royal father ” no individual that is alive and dead can tell you precisely the historical origin of this great ekpe cultural festival,it is an age long tradition of our people celebrated once in every year.
“Ekpe cultural festival is our own Christmas,as Ndi- igbo,as Ndi- Umuopara,as Ndi- Ezeleke,to us,it’s like a religion,it is not a religion of idol worshiping but a way of appreciating our rich cultural heritage as a people ” Eze Ibeakanma said.
Eze G.C Ibeakanma who was the immediate past Chairman Umuopara Traditional Rulers Council said that Ekpe cultural festival is one the most tourists attraction that Abia state government can boast of and proudly export it to the larger world given the wider acceptance of this great rich cultural age long festival of Umuopara people and beyond.
“If you go to Nkwoha market,you will not believe the crowd, our sons and daughters who travelled all the way from United States of America,United Kingdom,Canada, Germany etc to come back home to celebrate the Ekpe cultural festival,that is why I said it is own own Christmas,our own religion but devoid of idol worshiping.” Eze G.C Ibeakanma said.
To this end,he maintained that ekpe cultural festival is one of the age long tradition inherited from their forefathers even before the advent of Christian religion but however stated that it is like a cultural religious activity without any idol worshiping attach to it.
On his assessment of Gov Alex Otti’s three years in office,the Ezeukwu1 of Ezeleke autonomous community,HRM Eze G.C Ibeakanma lauded his impressive performance within the months under review.
He further noted that if the constitution could guarantee private candidacy,there is no right thinking electorates in Abia state that would not like Gov Otti to continue with the giant strides recorded by his administration so far.
“You asked yourself,what do you need by government? Good roads, anybody that is blind that cannot see or deaf that cannot hear, would have noticed good governance,when you are driving on the road,no potholes,no bumbs,good motorable roads,that is a product of good governance.
Eze GC Ibeakanma also lauded Gov Otti on what his government has achieved so far in Education, Health, Environment,Ease of doing business in Abia etc noting that within these three years, the chief executive officer of the state has excelled in all sectors of the state economy, while stating that Gov Otti is an embodiment of good governance.
He further pointed out that if there is a way the constitution of federal republic of Nigeria could be amended to allow Governors doing well beyond two statutory tenures ,that there is no well meaning Abians that would not like Otti to go for four tenures so that when he would done with 16 years, Abia will become a paradas on earth.
I know for his performance,Gov Alex Otti will have no challenges,we all loved him for his performance, for what he is doing for Abia state
