The Deputy Minority leader of the house  of Representatives,Hon Toby Okechukwu has tasked  youths of ugbo Community in Awgu LGA to leverage on the long age tradition  of  iwa akwa festival  for bonding and networking 

Stating that there is no other avenue or platform  that can bring the youths of same age -grade together  in our contemporary  society  if not  an event like this. 

He  made this remark during  Aju festival  in ugbo Community, Awgu local government area  last weekend  where  he witnessed  the initiation  ceremony  of young ugbo men  as they perform their rite of passage into manhood known as ”Iwa Akwa” Aju Festival.

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Hon Toby Okechukwu who is also member  representing  Anniri/Awgu/Orji River  federal constituency described the  the event as a very special one in the life of every Ugbo person  witnessing the ceremony which comes once in every three years involving  male initiates  between the ages of 18 , 19  and  20

“Iwa Akwa (clothing) is the most cherished festival in the life of every Ugbo indigene, it is use  to indicate age bracket  of people who grew up in the community when they leave adolescence to become adult , though we call it age grade  but  formally it is known as ‘Aju festival’

Actually  Aju festival  started   since 1800- 1900 ,  it  is one of the major cultural landmarks in Ugbo traditional calendar and a significant process in, not just Ugbo, but also in many Igbo societies. The festival is a chain of ceremonies performed every three years to mark the Rite of Passage from adolescents into manhood.

“When you attain this age, you are authorized  to do many things like paying  of taxes , you can now marry, do what men do,  but  prior  to that time you’re  not considered  fit for any  purpose. 

According  to him,What   age grade  essentially does is that it  multivate the youths,it makes them want to achieve like their mates,  they will be under pressure  to achieve and be in the same level of achievement  with your mates.

Stressing that age -grade is also  a strong tool  for  peer review as  people are been graded  or access according to the  achievements and successes of people of their  age grade , it  also  mentor you, like those who are behaving  well will influence  others.

“It is expected that as you do your age grade , Iwa Akwa, you  leave your Community  and start fending for yourself,  you are  expected  to start  contributing to the society.

“It is  also opportunity  to enhance our young  people  networking. My two sons came back from where they are schooling to do their age grade, people from home and in  diaspora  come back to do this

“so it is an opportunity of meeting people physically  and also also ehancing their relationship through social media platforms, otherwise if you dont have this kind of platform,  you will grow up not knowing your mates.

Okechukwu stated that Aju festival dates back to Ugbo history is  conceived  as a classificatory process of grouping males into specific age-grades for smooth and effective communal administration. On the other hand, both seniority and age grade are seriously emphasized such that in Ugbo, old age goes with honour and dignity 

“During and  Within this period, they are expected to  come back and undertake some activities like embarking on sanitation exercise,  clearing of bushes in villages streams,  clearing of the roads to mention but a few,  they also  contribute  to the common wealth  growth  of the community  by doing project

“When you get to the junction as you are coming inside Ugbo, that bustop  was built  by my own age grade  so it is  expected that each age-grade will undertake  some project  as you get into adulthood 

“It is Also  a time for counselling, you encourage  and advice the youth about the task ahead them , way to go in life 

“Most Igbo Communities celebrate  Aju festival  but they might not call it Aju festival  but in this hemisphere, it is known as Aju festival. 

“Though in  some jurisdiction they do age grade at old age to mark old age but here in ugbo we do it at young age” He stated

Speaking Also in an interview with ugamatv,  the National  publicity secretary of Ohanaeze Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia who also hail from ugbo stated that Aju festival from time immemorial  is the process of young male children been incorporated into cosmology 

Stating that it a long aged practice that   helps people to identify  their senior ” If you ask any ugbo man  when he did his own Aju then add 21 years to it then you have known his age

“Iwa Akwa involves various social processes aimed at initiating the adolescents into manhood as well as bonding the members of the age-grade across the entire hamlets of Ugbo.  Apart from impacting the Ugbo consciousness in the initiated, the Iwa Akwa confers on the celebrant all  the privileges, rights, dignity and profound sense of belonging in the Ugbo society.

“Age grade  system  is the same in igbo land but it is done differently in every Community ,  the nomenclature,the variation and approach  each Community go about it is what makes is different 

“Like me, i did my own in 1976

According  to him, “the Community  has deliberately  sustained  this long aged tradition though attempt by some religious group  to abolish it came but We resisted that kind of attack ten years ago” he stated

Also Another  prominent  son of Ugbo who spoke to our correspondent  Bar.  Eze O Ebeko dike  stated that Aju festival  is a ceremony  they  inherited  from their fore fathers since 1918 up till date

“People use it to know when you have reach adulthood  because  it is  time of  settling  a man, like  in those  days your father will give you your ban you start planting and cultivating .But today education  has come we believe  those in school have had some thing already.

“Expectedly, every Ugbo youths  always  live to expect this occasion  happen. “Put differently, any male who has not performed the Iwa Akwa ceremony is considered a minor in Ugbo. Going by the standards of Ugbo custom and tradition, such a minor may not only be allowed to marry but will not be entrusted with serious responsibilities in the community

“Every Ugbo parent looks forward with emotional excitement, to a day his/her son will perform this right of passage ceremony [Iwa Akweea] . It is considered a thing of immense joy for a parent to witness the rite of passage of his/her son. It is greeted with enormous fanfare, gunshots, feasts, dancing groups, etc. 

According to Bar. Eze,  “though it is not a compulsory  task for every ugbo youth, you can   be exempted  but you will not be exempted  from paying of taxes or doing all what your age grades are doing .

Stating that nothing shall be denied  from such  a person who did not partake in Aju festival  “No denials  for anyone who don’t  do it

“I did my own  Aju in 1979” he stated.