The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Alhaji Lai Mohammed has urged communities in Nigeria to emulate the Ito Ogbo Obosi Cultural Festival as a way of giving the aged a sense of belonging.
Alhaji Mohammed made the call when he led members of the Ministry on a courtesy visit to the Traditional Ruler of Obosi, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, at his palace in Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area.
Correspondent Emengini Osadebe reports that the Minister was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Mrs. Ifeoma Anyanwutaku.
The Minister who commended the Obosi community for sustaining the festival for decades, said they were happy to be invited to be part of the upcoming occasion and promised that his ministry will make it a national and international event for the world to emulate.
Earlier, Igwe Chidubem Iweka said the Ito Ogbo Obosi is an age long Festival aimed at giving the aged in the community a sense of belonging as they are often neglected in the past.
Igwe Iweka noted that the latest group to be celebrated is Igwebuike age Grade, describing the Ito Ogbo Festival as unique where over two hundred aged persons who are eighty years old are celebrated and prayed for longevity for all that graced the event.
In separate interviews the President General, Obosi Development Union, Engineer Iyke Okolo and the Woman Leader of the Women’s wing of the Union, Mrs. Ifeoma Agbanusi described the Ito Ogbo Obosi as a spiritual Festival that spur families of the aged to take adequate care of them.
The Chairman Ito Ogbo Obosi Planning Committee, Mr. Chiedu Nwogem while welcoming the Minister and his entourage said that Obosi community has been in the forefront of Ito Ogbo, adding that every man and woman in the community is looking forward to be part of the festival.
Cultural dance by various women groups in the community added glamour to the event.
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