UGE ADIAFA FESTIVAL: FAMGBE CELEBRATES, HONOURS OSOMKIME BLANKSON AS EGBEDESUE AND UTUKPA OF EPIE-ATISSA.

- Atissa chiefs had earlier cancelled the celebration due to unavailability of funds and Government negligence.

- History of "UGE ADIAFA" narrated.

- Famgbe honors Osom as, "Egbedesue and utukpa of famgbe community, and Epie-Atissa clan in whole (Light&hope)"

- Hon. Osomkime Promises to keep Atissa heritage and cultural values alive.

YENAGOA: On Sunday 26th 2016, the Chiefs, women, youths and great people of famgbe community of Atissa clan, Yenagoa local government area, celebrated their yearly festival, known as "UGE ADIAFA" interpreted as "New yam festival.

This festival has been a long aged tradition and cultural heritage of the people,  to them it is sacred. It was graced by dignitaries from Abuja, community chiefs, leaders of the IYC, youth groups, Political party leaders, well wishers etc and members in diaspora also visited.

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The festival celebration was earlier cancelled by the Attissa clan council of chiefs, due to unavailability of funds, other logistics and State Government negligence, but for the fortunate intervening of a philanthropist, Niger Delta youth leader, and Bayelsa Apc Chieftain, Hon. Osomkime Blankson ( Amini -Ibue 1) the festival held.

The event was indeed a memorable and delightful one, as the women of the community, came out in numbers and uniforms to honour their customs.

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Hon. Osomkime Blankson ( Amini -Ibue 1), a youth leader, and Chieftain of the Bayelsa Apc was also complimented for his outstanding role in community development and supporting the Epie-atissa people.

The women described and honored him as the "Egbedesue and utukpa of famgbe community, and Epie-Atissa clan in whole (Light&hope)", presenting him with a cutlass, to help clear pathways to easy development towards the land, and a light, to help aid his movement.

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This the women did by kneeling on the ground, presenting a beautiful new wrapper, yams and other items to him, these are all events that traditionally follows the festival.

Among persons, dignitaries who were present were; Hon. Kaizer leghemo, Comrade Amiebi turner (Financial secretary, Iyc central zone), Comr. Ambrose kwokor (General CDC chairman, Epie kingdom), Obi Esuenifien ( CDC Chairman, Ogu community), Comr. Torutein Oki (IYC Chairman, atissa clan, central zone), Dr. Patrick O. Ezekiel (Apc stalwart, ward II), Chief Agama Preye ( fmr. Iyc national leader, Rep. Sylva youth vanguard), Comr. Dollar Okere ( vice President, Yenagoa, youths council), Hon. Gana Modibo ( Bayelsa Apc stalwart, gbarain), Famgbe CDC committee Chairman, represented by, Comr. Jacob Udekede Tom (Chairman), Chief Jephthah Otobo (Yenequi compound chief), Chief Aaron Frank (Bugata comp. Chief), elder moses, elder bonny and many other compound chiefs, others were state youth leaders, community presidents, traditional chiefs, etc.

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Hon. Osomkime who spoke, pledged the people his undying support towards the community, the entire clan, he assured the people that, with or without government support, the people of FAMGBE will continue to hold their festival, he maintained, that such a festival was an integral part in the people's life, as such was a wrong decision for individual or persons to disregard it, as it stands to promote unity, harmony and inter-relationship amongst families.

The event was also occasioned by dancing, music, tug of war, wrestling, football match, cultural display, gifts presentation and many other exciting/mind blowing events.

About Uge Adiafa festival:

Unlike any other festival you have may have come across, the 'uge adiafa' is truly a sight to behold, because of it's uniqueness and qualities. The weeklong festival is filled with excitements jubilations,celebrations and above all, merriment.

It is also a time for people to come together in peace and harmony, settle their differences and share belongings with each other.

As Mrs. Otobo Elizabeth puts it “the festival all began with a man named Adugu, adugu was a traveller who journeyed to many lands, on one occasion, he came across this festival, he loved it and bought the idea".

The story goes that having witnessed the festival, he took a decision to introduce it to his people, inorde to imbibe the spirit of festivity on them.

This was how the "uge adiafa" emerged, though it was formerly called "Adugu Adiafa" in honour of the founder, and celebrated individually by the various communities in the Attissa clan.

According to reports, in 1979 the Atissa clan communities, sat and agreed to start celebrating the festival in unity, with the decision that each of it's communities will play host annually, hence it became a bigger and better event.

It was later renamed as "Uge Adiafa" meaning New Yam Festival.

The festival normally kicks off annually during the month of June 25th, and last for about a week, ending on the first week of July. The 'Adiafa' commemorates the beginning of the harvest season of the Adiafa, that is the new yam, otherwise called the Adia-fina( female yam) because of its soft nature, this yam is popularly known by many as 'water yam'. This yam is the major focus of the festival.

Unlike many other festivals, women are major partakers in this. The Uge Adiafa features women as the sole partakers of this event. Prior to the day of the festival, in ancient times women go to their farms in groups and harvest the Adiafa (water yam or new yam) which is usually planted around November.

The Women will then ask their husbands to buy fishes or go fishing for them. While the husband does so, the women then goes to the markets and get wrappers which they intend to use to honor their husbands.

On the day of the start of the festival women cook the very best of the yams and take it to town hall where their husbands will be seated. They then show respect to their husbands by bowing or kneeling on the floor while presenting the cooked yams to them and a little token of money for drinks. Though in modern times, some changes have been added.

The men who then eats the better cooked yams and keep the others for children. After eating, they offer prayers to God and some of the remnants of the food are thrown on the ground, probably to appease a deity, signifying a more fruitful harvest to come in the next Uge Adiafa.

After which jubilation begins, women start to sing and dance, they make uniforms dances, football matches take place between women from different communities in the clan, canoe racing, war boat display, Men stage wrestling matches.

Also, strangers are privileged to join in the fun.

"Uge Adiafa" is truly a wonder. The day is traditionally declared a work free day.

The festival promotes unity amongst communities and it's members, it also attracts members of the community, who have longed stayed away to come down.

You can call/text -08028679931 to contribute, as this was a research work carried out by me: Bodmas Kemepadei with reference to Anthony Otobo.

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Photos of the event, below, including the photo illustrating the festival rites as explained above: