The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Ezza Elites group, demanding a formal apology for organising an unauthorised Okeaku New Yam Festival on June 30, 2026, at the Okpoku Ezekuna ancestral ground, also known as Nchionu. The diaspora organisation condemned the event as a politically motivated gathering that bypassed the traditional elders, who are the recognised custodians of Ezza-Ezekuna cultural traditions.
AEISCID Condemns Unauthorised Festival
In a press statement signed by its worldwide president, Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, AEISCID described the gathering as a "shameful embarrassment to our rich cultural heritage, tradition and our pride as a people." The statement emphasised that the Okeaku festival traditionally signals the beginning of a new calendar year for the Ezza nation and must follow established cultural and procedural protocols that cannot be circumvented.
AEISCID acknowledged that members of the Ezza Elites have the right to free association and peaceful assembly, but argued that branding a politically coloured event as the official Okeaku festival crossed a line that could not be overlooked. The group urged Ezza-Ezekuna sons and daughters worldwide to disregard the actions of "desperate political hawks who are bent on destroying our culture for cheap political gains."
Call for Unity and Consequences
The organisation invoked a traditional Ezza maxim to reinforce its call for unity: "Ezza jikotara onu, ndu lanu, olu lanu," which represents the symbolic strength and unity of the Ezza people even amid diversity. AEISCID warned that the actions of the Ezza Elites carry "heavy consequences both culturally, politically, morally and otherwise," and called on the group to exercise greater care going forward.
The diaspora group also reminded the Ezza Elites that they represent only one of many social groups within the Ezza nation. AEISCID closed its statement by urging the broader Ezza-Ezekuna community to remain calm and united under the shared traditions that define them as a people.
