South East gears up to welcome indigenes as Yuletide nears

…Economic crisis, insecurity unable to tame exodus

… ‘It is in the blood’

Despite the high cost of transportation, harsh economy and the high insecurity across the country, the South East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, populated by the Igbo race, is gearing up to receive its indigenes this period of festivity.

While many Nigerians are moaning about their inability to travel this time around, many Igbos had already concluded arrangements to travel at whatever cost.

The atmosphere in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, like other towns and communities in the South-East region of Nigeria is calm, as the people countdown to Christmas.

Christmas is a major festivity in the region as a result of the large population of Christians found there.

Traffic into Aba, has increased lately, as travellers from neighbouring South-East and South-South States are trooping into the commercial city to shop for the Yuletide.

It has become a tradition for Ndi Igbo in the diaspora to return to their communities, which they call “home” to celebrate Christmas, consequently, people look forward to it with excitement.

Many community schools, hospitals, electricity and water projects executed in most Igbo communities were funded, through community efforts and fund raising for such projects are usually done during the Christmas season.

Christmas is one of the few seasons that bring friends and families together, including long-lost ones, and as such, one that countless number of people always look forward to.

However, the Igbos in the South East region of the country are known to have, over the years, developed special interest for this season and as such would do everything possible to mark the season in grand styles.

It is common to see the Igbo using the occasion of Christmas to visit their villages from wherever they might be, including far away cities like Lagos and Abuja, while some even travel from outside the country for the same purpose.

The Igbo, as believed in some quarters, like to show off their wealth and flaunt what they have, this they do during the Yuletide. It is believed that they use the Christmas time to travel to their villages to show off the wealth they have been able to accumulate over a period of one year.

But Nze Princewill, an Aba resident, dismissed this claim, noting that Ndi Igbo do not travel at Christmas to show off, but rather to identify with their families and friends.

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He explained that Ndi Igbo do not joke with their roots and always ‘remember their homes’ wherever they might be in any part of the world.

“Anywhere we go as Ndi Igbo, we must always remember home. Even when an Igbo indigene dies in a foreign land, he/she would prefer that his/her remains be brought back home for burial. As people that have travelled far and wide, the Christmas time provides Ndi Igbo, the opportunity to see their families and loved ones again.

“So, it is more of a home-coming for an average Igbo traveller, because an individual you’ve not seen from January to December, you are suddenly given the opportunity to see such an individual. So, travelling home for Christmas is never about show-off and those who have such a notion should discard it immediately. The period provides an opportunity for Ndi Igbo from all walks of life to have a reunion sort of,” he pointed out.

For Kalu Ndukwo, communities in Igboland use the Christmas holidays to discuss issues of development in their various domains.

“In our Ohafia community, our people in the diaspora are well represented in such meetings, which hold annually and most of the schools and hospitals you see in our communities were achieved through such engagements,” Ndukwo said.

The real seasons Ndigbo do not joke with going “home” during this period has always been a source of debate, especially among non-Igbo and no matter the length of such debates, the real reasons have always remained evasive.

However, inquest into some of the arguments provided by those who engage in this practice and those who do not, might provide some sort of insights into possible reasons behind this annual pilgrimage.

For many, one reason the Igbo travel home for Christmas is to ensure family reunion. According to those who hold this belief, only few tribes in the world could match the adventurous and industrious nature of the Igbo. Therefore, if an Igbo has been away from his home and roots all through the year, it is only normal for such a person to create an avenue for him/herself to visit home to share love with his/her people.

The Christmas period in South East always brims with activities. From burial ceremonies (people deliberately fix the burial ceremonies of their loved ones this period so that those returning from their places of residence will attend) to traditional marriages, white wedding, and to other cultural and religious ceremonies.

To ensure that Ndi-Igbo in the diaspora return for the 2024 Yuletide, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB) has issued a stern warning to criminal elements in the South East, demanding they leave the region or face consequences.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to restoring peace and ensuring a safe environment for residents during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The group in a statement released Thursday by Emma Powerful, its Media and Publicity secretary, announced that it has made arrangements with the Eastern Security Network (ESN) to provide security throughout Igbo land during the festive season.

The pro-Biafra group urged Ndigbo to return home for the holidays, assuring them that their safety is guaranteed.

IPoB’s statement read, “The Directorate of State, DoS of the global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, under the command and leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Okwu Kanu wish to reiterate once again our commitment to end insecurity in the South East Region.

“We also encourage our people, who wish to return home to enjoy the Christmas and New Year seasons as usual, we assure them that ESN operatives will provide a peaceful atmosphere during the festive period.

“Alaigbo is a peaceful region. IPoB encourages our people to contribute our best to ensuring that Alaigbo remains peaceful. We need peace to thrive as a strategic economic hub in Africa. Every Igbo man and woman must work towards peace and security in Alaigbo.

“Alaigbo can’t be allowed to be in disarray while other regions seem to enjoy peace and security, even if they are not exactly peaceful,” the statement read in part.