The king of the Igbo People in Ghana, HRM EZE DR. AMB. CHUKWUDI J. IHENETU on Tuesday, September 8 announced the cancellation of the 2020 edition of the annual New Yam Festival/IGBO Day in Ghana.
According to him, this has become necessary due to the challenges associated with the COVID 19 pandemic as relating to public gatherings, social distancing, International travels and other related protocols which has become the new normal.
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You may recall that the Igbo New Yam Festival, held in the third week of September every year since 2012, attracts a huge number of traditional rulers, cultural ambassadors guests, visitors and tourists from around the world and has become one of the largest Diaspora festivals in Ghana.
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The core objective of the Festival is to propagate Nigerian-Igbo cultural heritage and enshrine their traditional values. Create synergy with the Ghanaian culture and sustain family value systems.
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ABOUT THE IGBO COMMUNITY
The Igbo Community consists of people from five Eastern geographical area of Nigeria and constitutes the largest number of investors and residents in Ghana. The Igbo People are the only Diaspora Community with a chief recognized by the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and inducted by the GA Traditional Council.
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ABOUT THE IGBO NEW YAM FESTIVAL
All across Igboland and among the Igbos in the Diaspora the New Yam Festival is a highly captivating art event. The colourful festival is a visual spectacle of coherence, of dance, of joy and feasting, an annual display for community members, to mark the end of the cultivation season. A festival where people express their gratitude to those that helped reap a bountiful harvest.
The theme for the festival is based on Cultural Sustainability. Sustainability in this context means that the Igbo People in Ghana seek to ensure that they keep showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the two countries and harnessing them for posterity.
This Cultural festival helps to strengthen and build connections between the two nations and to create a better understanding about the people from various local communities in Ghana and Igboland.
Recently, the Igbo King, Eze Dr Chukwudi Ihenetu, was inducted as a council member of Academy of Universal Peace, USA, United Nations University- with presence in 77 countries. He is also a member of the World Peace Committee among others.
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