Three members of ABS family over the weekend celebrated eightieth birthday anniversary during the ito ogbo Obosi 2024.
They are former Directors of News and Current Affairs Department of the ABS, Ogbueshi Armand Odogwu and Ogbueshi Oliver Ikedionwu and the mother of one of the ABS finest, the late Mrs Stella Okoye, Mrs Nkiruka Nwashili.
The event reports that others who also celebrated alongside one hundred and twenty octogenarians during the Ito Ogbo festival were Ogbueshi Bennett Ikokwu of Uruowulu village, Ogbueshi Joan Chikanene Nwangwu of Obinagu Ire, and Ogbueshi Elizabeth Osajindu of Okpuno Ire village, Obosi.
At the Ito ogbo arena, all the celebrants gathered with various dance troop, as they were adorned in their ito ogbo uniform alongside their immediate family members, friends and well-wishers as well as associates.
Delivery an address soon after the kolanut ritual, the Traditional Ruler of Obosi, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, called for the adoption of the ceremony by the United Nations as a way of caring for those at that side of the wall, as it will promote longevity.
Igwe Iweka who pointed out that only those who have attained eighty years and participated in the Ito Ogbo Obosi are qualified to wear red cap as well as Ndi Ichie Obosi and announced that the octogenarians are now free of all levies or manual labour in the community, adding that Ndi Obosi are more interested in celebrating their aged alive than in death.
The Tradition Prime Minister of the community Chief Austine-Cosmos Anibogwu who traced the origin of Ito Ogbo Obosi to five hundred years ago, stressed the need for other communities to emulate the act of celebrating their aged to promote longevity and extend the opportunity of tapping from the wealth of experience and inculcation of moral decadence on the younger generations.
The President General Obosi Development Union, Barrister Chimezie Obi said that Ito Ogbo Obosi has helped in reshaping the mindset of Ndi Obosi in terms of life style saying that everyone who has attained fifty years and above makes it a point of duty to leave aright in other to be alive for the celebration and said that it is the best gift to be given to their aged while alive.
The Chairman of Organising Committee, Ito Ogbo Obosi 2024, Mr Chinedu Nwogem thanked Ndi Obosi for giving him the opportunity to serve them in that capacity even as he congratulated all those who were celebrated praying for God’s grace upon their lives.
Some individuals were at the event recognized for their outstanding performance towards the development of the town including the Commissioner for works Engineer Ifeanyi Okoma and Comrade Uzochukwu Ochokwu for his contributions for educational growth in the community.
In their separate reactions, some of the octogenarians, “Ogbueshi Odogwu, Ikedionwu, Nwashili, Osajindu, Nwangwu and Ikokwu, thanked” God for keeping them alive and prayed for their children and those who came to felicitate with them to be alive to attain the age of eighty years in their life time.
Some children and friends of the celebrants including Chief Chiedu Uyammadu who came all the way from Georgia to be part of the event and the Acting Director News and Current Affairs Department of the ABS Mrs Judy -Jeff Nwabueze who was at the event for the mother of a member of her Association , Mrs Nwangwu , one of the sons of Mrs. Nwangwu, Mrs. Ifunanya Nwangwu the gubernatorial flag bearer of PDP in the last governorship election Mr Valentine Ozigbo, and a youth in Obosi Mr Ejike Aguegbo said they were happy to be part of the event, wishing the celebrants long life in good health, urging every community in the South East Nigeria to adopt the Ito Ogbo Obosi method to ensure that their aged are well taken care of.
The event featured cutting of anniversary cake by the celebrants at their various homes where they entertained their guests to sumptuous meals and assorted drinks.
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