Oruru, Iwere, Edede, preach unity as 528th Awankere Festival begins – it’s free day for singles, Tonwe

Elders of Okere Community in Warri South Local Government Area; Mr. Godswill Oruru, Prince David Iwere, the chosen mother of Okere Community, Mrs. Vivian Edede, Former Youth Chairman of Okere Community, Mr. Peter Tidi, have stressed the need for peace and unity in Okere.

Our Managing Editor and Editor-In-Chief, report that they made the call Tuesday June 10, during the morning outing of the First Market of the 528th Edition of the annual Awankere (Okiroro) Festival, held at Okere, Warri.

Mr. Oruru, explained: “The feast gives us blessings, understanding and remove any rancour in the community. The children get their blessings; the adults get their blessings also.

“Like what happened yesterday, which was the eve of the feast, it was fantastic, today we are inviting the neighbouring communities to come with their own colours and to know the culture of our people.

“This is the ancestral dance (referring to the masquerades’ outing at the Awankere shrine in Ajamimogha, Okere) before the shrine, we must showcase the dance here, before the masquerades go to the Okere Market Sqaure. It happens morning and evening.”

Prominent Okere Community Leader, Prince David Iwere, who also spoke exclusively to This Newspaper, stated: “Today is our festival, Awankere also known as Okere Juju, after today, we still have four market days, today is the first market. It is the festival that is known in Warri Urban., we are celebrating Ekpenede, founder of Okere community.

“I want us to celebrate peacefully, no fighting and there should be no crisis.

Prince David Iwere

“As you can see, we don't have crisis in Okere community, we are not forcing anybody to celebrate, but those that want to join us to celebrate, should celebrate.

“In this community, we have Christians, we have Muslims, we have all kinds of religion. As you can see, I am sitting down with my friends drinking.

“If you go to the shrine now, there is no blood. You will see people dancing. This is not the festival they use cutlass.

“We are just here to celebrate, play with the women, and the masquerade will talk to us.

“I want to beg, nobody should be aggrieved, everybody should come out and celebrate, the festival is for all of us.”

While the Chosen Mother of Okere, Mrs. Vivian Edede, spoke in the same vein, former Chairman of Okere Community Youth, Mr. Peter Tidi, added: “No faction in Okere. Some persons just have interest on a particular thing. As human being, you must have interest in anything you do.”

One of the Okere daughters from Idimi-Jakpa, Julia Tonwe, excitingly stated: “It’s a free day for single men and single women of the community to meet each other.

“Awankere festival is a fruitful and peaceful festival, there is no cutlass, no gun and no carrying of instrument.”

Popular Itsekiri Socialite, Hon. Weyinmi Omadeli, averred: “Togetherness is the key, I don't see any need of us quarrelling with each other.

“Let the youth come together and do their election. Normally, it will be for everybody, both home and abroad. 

“We have some of us who came in from Canada, because of the feast. I am not from Okere, but being that my elder brother and my friend is here, I came to enjoy with him.”

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