By Chukwudi Ebele
Chief Barr. Patrick Agbata, (Akadike Ogidi), an Ogidi, Idemili North local Government Are, Anambra state based legal practitioner and Chief priest of Ogbuenyeukwu deity, located at Ilo- Agbata Square, Uruezealor Village Ogidi, played host to the Ogidi Police Area Commander, Ikechukwu Nwanolue, an Nkwelle-Ezunaka community chieftain, Hon. Vincent Anyakorah, a business mogul, Chief Onyeka Amatu, among others during the 2026 newyam festival of the former.
Agbata disclosed that,”Those with problems of infertility, brain issue, charms, lack of progress in both business and sickness regain their strenght on touching their feet on the ground at the shrine.
“All manners of illnesses are treated here including infertility, curses, lack of progress in business, among others, once you touch the Ogbuonyeukwu shrine you are freed, scores who were barren have given birth,” he stated.
Speaking at the event, Agbata revealed further that newyam festival is an age long tradition, a period of harvest of farm produce especially yam that is the chief crop of all crops and also a period to thank God for the harvest and prayer to Him for bumper harvest during next farming season.
“Within this period of the festival it is also for unity by in-laws, friends, well wishers to meet and interact and different types of masquerades that display the stuff they are made of, parade, entertain the guests and join in making the celebration colourful.
“It is a week long festivity and use to initiate (ikpuani) the little boys into the masquerades sphere which is part of growing into manhood, that period people eat and drink to satisfaction. It is a rich cultural heritage of Ogidi people.
“I want to use this platform to urge our amiable Governor Chukwuma Soludo to come to our rescue because our Ogidi community has been submerged by flood. The Onitsha/Awka Old road is no longer meant for traffic flow as the ravaging flood now like a lake, cut off the road at Ukwuoji Orji and motorists and other road users now have to go round the community to avoid being trapped by the flood and this means extra fuel cost,” he lamented
The Ogidi police Area Commander, Nwanolue, said, “Barr. Agbata is my good friend and we have been working together. I don’t know he is also a traditionalist, (Akajiofor Obi Ogbuenyeukwu), he is also into legal practice.
“Combining the two is not easy, and as a man of the people the place is filled with friends, well wishers and different masquerades that make the entire thing colourful.
“I am here to felicitate with him as partners in progress, in national service, he is loved by all and I advise him to keep it up, everybody likes him including his colleagues,” he revealed further.
Contributing, Hon. Anyakorah expressed satisfaction with the newyam celebration and described Agbata as a philanthropist in-law who combines his legal practice with tradition.
“He is a good in-law and a man of the people. Newyam which he is celebrating is a yearly Igbo tradition handed over to us by our ancestors and can not go into extinction as speculated in some quarters,” he assured.
Also speaking, the business mogul, Amatu, disclosed that the celebrant, Agbata, is his bosom friend which prompted his presence to felicitate with him on the newyam celebration.
He advised the youths to go back to their root which is enterpreneurship that the Igbo man is known for adding that farming remains major means of sacking hunger in the society.
Earlier in her speech, mother in-law to Agbata, Mrs Theresa Amobi, (Simple Madam), said, “Agbata is both human and spirit and that is why human beings from all walks of life and differnt masquerades are here making the event colourful.
“He is a good son in-law and that is why the spirit, (Ogbuenyeukwu deity), picked him as the Chief Priest. Once you touch your feet on the Obi Ogbuenyeukwu shrine of the deity, your problems are solved”, she revealed.
On the youths she advised them to be of good behaviour and avoid acts capable of dragging them to ridicle saying, ” Avoid killings, cultism, go into farming if you don’t have anything to do so that you don’t go hungry.”