Obosi community to initiate 200 octogenarians into Ogbueshi title

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

All roads will tomorrow, Saturday , lead to Obosi, the country home of the former Common Wealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, for the initiation into Ogbueshi title on 200 octogenarians.

The initiation which will be performed by the traditional ruler of the community, HRM, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, will be held at Afoadike square.

Fielding questions from newsmen Friday, when the NAN delegation led by her state head Joy Mbachi, paid courtesy call on the monarch, the monarch described the initiation into Ogbueshi society, (Iteogbo), as an age long cultural heritage of the people in the community.

“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. We started this honour to these elders as part of respect 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. On Sunday the Christians will get to church to thank God for a successful initiation and the traditionalists will also get to the shrine to thank God,” he further disclosed

Contributing, the Prime Minister, (Onowu), of the community, Chief Austen-Anibogwu, while corroborating the Monarch’s position added that, “There are moves to make the occasion a tourist centre and affiliate it with other tribes’ National festivals.

“It is an age long ceremony that is celebrated every three years. As this Oforka agegrade will be initiated on Saturday, those age grade members that will follow them will be initiated in the next three years. In every family that is celebrating the occasion, a cow must be slaughtered and that is why they are called Ogbueshi,” he disclosed.

Pic shows the monarch