Clash Over Culture: Tension Grips Aboh Mbaise as Council Locks Horns with Ezeji Group Over 2026 Iri-Ji Venue

Clash Over Culture: Tension Grips Aboh Mbaise as Council Locks Horns with Ezeji Group Over 2026 Iri-Ji Venue

By our correspondent 

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ABOH MBAISE, IMO STATE — Tension has gripped Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area following a high-stakes standoff between the local council administration and the Ezeji Mbaise group over the designated venue for the 2026 Iri-Ji Mbaise cultural celebrations.

The friction escalated after the Executive Chairman of Aboh Mbaise Local Government Council, Barr. Iheukwumere Alaribe, ordered the restriction of access to Mbaise Secondary School (MSS), Aboh—the venue reportedly chosen by the traditional group.

COUNCIL CITES DUE PROCESS AND UNAUTHORIZED OCCUPATION

In an official public advisory issued by the council, authorities drew a clear line, declaring that the local government is the official host of the 2026 Iri-Ji Mbaise Cultural Festival, slated for August 15, 2026, at Oke Ovoro Secondary School, Uvuru, rather than MSS, Aboh.

The council maintained that any individual, group, or organization intending to utilize public property within the local government area must first secure the necessary approvals and licenses from appropriate authorities. Emphasizing that no permission was granted to occupy MSS for any activities linked to the 2026 festival, the council viewed any attempt to use the grounds without clearance as a direct challenge to its authority and established administrative procedures, prompting the swift restriction of access.

EZEJI GROUP FIRES BACK: "WE FOLLOWED DUE PROCESS"

Pushing back strongly against the council's restrictions, the Ezeji Mbaise group insisted they adhered strictly to due process, claiming they paid for their preferred venue weeks in advance in accordance with a court order.

The group argued that securing the facility is vital to performing their traditional and spiritual obligations to Yahweh Ahiajoku, whom they revere as the giver of a bountiful harvest. Describing the eleventh-hour denial of access as an attempt to obstruct an essential part of the true Iri-Ji tradition, the group clarified that their event represents the authentic Ji-Mbaise in its truest sense.

As stakeholders across the region await further developments, the local council has urged all concerned parties to act responsibly and cooperate with relevant authorities to safeguard public peace, order, and the successful conduct of the cultural festivities.


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