The 2012 Ozuruimo festival may lose its appeal and colour following indications that traditional rulers in the State may boycott the event, Imo Trumpeta can authoritatively reveal.
Also, the festival which kicks off on December 12, 2012, may not meet the intentions of the State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha who revived the festival to enhance the State’s rich cultural heritage if thorny issues trailing this year’s event are not amicably resolved before the festival kicks off.
At the centre of the raging controversy that may mar the event is a cold war between some traditional rulers in the State and the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Barr Ugochi Nnnana- Okoro.
The monarchs are lamenting that since the inception of the festival, key roles has been allotted to them to play in organizing the festival.
A source who is aware of the ongoing feud revealed to Imo Trumpeta that the Commissioner’s unilateral nomination of Mr. Paddy Obinna, a newspaper publisher and the elder brother of Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Diocese, Anthony Obinna, as Chairman of the event’s Planning Committee is a clear demonstration of the Commissioner’s negligence of the traditional rulers in organizing the event.
The traditional rulers contend that since the festival is an exhibition of the rich cultural and traditional heritage of the people of Imo State, it is important a traditional ruler either heads the Committee to organize the event or are given greater participatory roles in hosting the event. Most of them are furious that the Commissioner has relegated them to the background concerning the event, wondering why she has towed this path despite the fact that Ndi Eze as custodians of tradition and culture are supposed to be active players in organizing the event.
One of the aggrieved Ezes who spoke on condition of anonymity said while they recognize the fact that the Culture and Tourism Ministry has supervisory powers concerning the event, it is in bad faith for the Commissioner not to deem it appropriate to allow Traditional Rulers to aid the success of the festival which has been the pride of the State for a long period.
When this newspaper contacted for comments, the Chairman Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Samuel Ohiri, he was not on sit at the Secretariat of the Council, but a source at the secretariat confirmed the development saying that majority, if not all the traditional rulers are not happy with the Commissioner Okoro for hijacking the entire festival for pecuniary gains.
