Imo community mourns monarch’s murdered wife, suspends cultural festival
From Damian Duruiheoma, Owerri
The authorities of Uratta Development Association in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State has announced the suspension of all cultural events in all the communities in Uratta clan.
The announcement followed the killing of Ugoeze Comfort Okoro, wife of the traditional ruler of Ihitoha Uratta community, HRH Eze Emmanuel Okoro by kidnappers, after collecting ransome from the family.
Her body was later found along a village road in Akabor community in Oguta council area of the state.
Briefing journalists in Owerri weekend, the President-General of UDA, Barr. Canice Madukaji, who described the abduction and killing of the woman as troubling, said the suspension equally affected the traditional ‘Onwa Oru’ festival slated to hold on February 22, 2020.
Madukaji reiterated that the decision was in line with a wide range consultation between stakeholders as well as the traditional council to give the deceased a befitting mourning.
He said: “On behalf of the traditional rulers of Uratta and the people of Uratta clan, we thereby suspend Onwa Oru Uratta. Onwa Oru ought to hold on February 22, 2020. It is a festival of peace, which is traditional and cultural. It’s a peaceful period for our kingdoms.
“Before the sad news of the queen’s death when she was in captivity, we held a meeting and agreed that if she was not released before Onwa Oru, we would not celebrate it. Now that we have a worse situation like this, we have decided to suspend the cultural festival in honour of the wife of one of our traditional rulers.
“All the Ezes are not involved in celebrating Onwa Oru; the town unions are not involved and the women too are not involved because we’re mourning.
“We’re troubled by her death because of the way a woman of that caliber was kidnapped in this palace in the presence of her family and domestic staff.
“This is what we used to read in the media about other places. Now, it is happening before us”.
Madukaji used the opportunity to call on the Imo State government and security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act to ensure adequate measures were meted out them.
-The Nation
