Ogheneruona Tejiri, Oporoza,
Festival celebrations are unifying factors which shows that we are one united in peace that no doubt makes us stronger just as the 2024 annual Amasekumor festival where High Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo was the cynosure of all eyes came to a remarkable and joyful end in Oporoza, headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.
Speaking at ceremony, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja 1, Ooni of Ife at the final day celebration of the 2024 annual Amasekumor Festival in Oporoza, Gbaramatu Kingdom, he said that regular celebration of such festivals help sustain our reverred traditions and cultures which are handed down from generation to generation.
Tompolo is a notable traditionalist and the Chief Priest of the Egbesu deity, which is the god of war in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
The five days celebrations was a carnival of sorts as programmes of activities included cultural entertainment, football match, boat regatta, Ijaw cultural dance competition, wrestling, tug-of-war and live music entertainment that came to a joyful end with a grand civic reception and traditional rites performed by High Tompolo, the Egbesu Chief Priest.
Tompolo led various masquerades, with their cultural dance steps as he took centre stage when he moved into the venue as they paid royal homage to the Pere of Gbaramatu kingdom, His Majesty Oboro Gbaraun II, flanked by other monarchs across the Niger Delta region.
The Ooni of Ife said, “festivals of diverse cultures and traditions like this are the only unifier of who we are, the unifier of our people, it is the essence of different diverse cultures and traditions across the entire country.”
Accordng to the Ooni, “it is things like this that the government and our political leaders should always focus on. It is clear, this is the only thing that can unite us.
“It is this annual festival that I came all the way from Ife Kingdom, in South West to attend the festival in Gbaramatu Kingdom. this is clearly a unifying factor, and so far so good, I have been enjoying myself and I have been comparing cultures all the way from Yoruba land to that of people of Ijaw Kingdom.”
The organizers said that the Amaseikumor Festival is one of the widely celebrated festivals among Ijaws in the whole of West Africa, which draws notable Ijaw traditional rulers, top government functionaries, chief executives of multinational corporations and expatriates doing business in the Ijaw nation annually.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Chief Godspower Gbenakama, Fiyewei (spokesperson) of Gbaramatu kingdom, called on all to “imbibe the culture of love, peace, and unity which Gbaramatu kingdom is known for.”
Accordng to him, “this year’s Amaseikumor Festival is a restoration of the acceptable rich Africa cultural heritage.”
Dignitaries that graced the festival included:l Chief Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN; Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; the senator representing Delta South senatorial district, Joel Onowakpor-Thomas, Member of the House of Representatives, representing Burutu federal constituency, Hon. Julius Pondi.l
Others in attendance were: the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor; and the administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Office, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, among others.
Also, Dr. Paul Bebenimibo, former Commissioner representing Ijaw ethnic nationality in the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission,(DESOPAFEC) mobilized media personalities from across the country including Chief Chris Isiguzo, President, NUJ, Sola Adebayo, Comr. Mike Ikeogwu, Com. Churchill Oyowe, Comr. Okies Okpomor among others.
