The Traditional ruler of Obosi, His Royal Highness, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, has said that over 200 octogenarians will be honoured with Ogbueshi titles.
Iweka who made the disclosure while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) explained that the Ogbueshi title is a festival used to celebrate the elderly who have attained 80 years of age.
He said that the celebration, also known as Iteogbo, is an age-long cultural heritage of the people in the community.
According to him, with this initiation into the Ogbuefi title by those who have attained 80 years (Oforka agegrade), they have been exempted from all manners of levies and communal works.
โWe began honouring these categories of elders as part of respect to them to have attained this height. Some of our neighbouring communities have emulated us and today they come to us to know how we have been able to uphold this for years.
โOn Sunday, the Christians will get to church to thank God for a successful initiation and the traditionalists will also get to their shrines to thank God,โ he said.
Earlier, the Prime Minister (Onowu) of the community, Chief Austen-Anibogwu, while corroborating the traditional rulerโs position, added that there are moves to make the occasion a tourist attraction and affiliate it with other national festivals of other tribes.
โIt is an age-long ceremony that is celebrated every three years. As this Oforka age grade will be initiated on Saturday, March 3, those age grade members that will follow them will be initiated in the next three years.
โIn every family that is celebrating the occasion, a cow must be slaughtered and that is why they are called Ogbueshi (literally meaning killer of cow),โ he said. (NAN)
