.It’s in sync with Uzodimma’s gesture —Tourist Commissioner

By EDISON Okereke

The management of Protea Hotels Limited, in Owerri, the Imo State capital, recently, upped its ante and lead in the hospitality industry in the state when it marked the 2025 New Yam Festival in the hotel.

Speaking on the occasion, the commissioner for Tourism, Hospitality and Culture, Barr Jerry Egemba, while commending the management for the initiative, stated that the idea was in sync with the decision of the State Government’s effort to encourage the Igbo tradition and culture, assuring the hotel of his ministry’s support.

He said, “Remember that this is the land of Imo State that our Governor, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma has decided that Igbo culture and tradition must be encouraged, the Igbo language, brotherly interaction, convivial meetings, in happiness and love.

“So I thank the management of the Protea Hotel for coming up with the idea to join you in the yam eating for the 2025.

“You have shown, once more, that you are among the best hotels. I commend you. Keep it up. My Ministry: Tourism, Hospitality, and Culture, will always identify with you people, I’ll always support you, will always encourage you, because what you are doing is pleasing to us.

“This is in accord with our principle of engagement. And you are doing it perfectly well. Anywhere we are we will make a boast of you. You have never, never, and I know you will never disappoint us.

“His Excellency is so very, very happy with you people, because of the things you do are different.”

The General Manager, Mrs Maureen-Ion Maduka, told journalists in an interview, that the decision to mark the festival was in keeping with the culture in Igboland.

She said, “For the fact that we are in Nigeria, in Igboland, we respect the culture. And we like doing something in line with the culture, just something different from the regular.

She stated that the various sauces prepared for the yam delicacy (both roast and boiled) was to increase the appetite of the guests for the delicacy, and in keeping with the excellent continental cuisine tradition of the hotel.

As the first of its kind, she promised that new yam festival would henceforth be marked every year by the hotel.

Boasting that the hotel offers first-class services, she asked the journalists, “I hope you enjoyed everything about the Iriji? You want good food, you want professional services, come to Protea.”

Fielding questions also, the Sales and General Manager, Chinyere Obilonu, said they organized the New Yam Festival to promote the Iriji Culture.

“We needed to, like, talk about the culture, feel the culture, show the culture, because, inas much as this is an international brand, we also support culture and tradition. And for the fact the we are in this part of the world, and in Owerri land. So what we did was to allow the community to finish its iriji so that we can do our own iriji,” she stated.

She said the festival was a part of the hotel management’s idea to reach out to its community, just like some other sporting activities they also organize.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Okigwe Global Leaders and Elders Forum and tradition ruler of Isiama Autonomous Community in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of the state, Eze Dr Oliver Ohanweh (Obi Gburugburu) has said that Imo State is not as bad as most people think.

He made the declaration at the 2025 New Yam Festival of the Protea Hotel, Owerri.

He said, “Imo State is not as bad as some people think outside.”

He described the killings in parts of the Igbo land as not only alien to the people but an abomination.

To the Protea Hotel management, Ohanweh said. “What you are doing is the Igbo culture. And it’s this cultural encouragement that we want.

He commended the hotel management for helping to stem the tide of unemployment, encouraging, and boosting tourism not only in the state, but east of the Niger.

“So I thank you. You are a pacesetter of hotels in Owerri given your international standards. We are proud of you.”

Blessing the hotel, Eze Ohanweh who represented Eze Cletus Illomuanya on the occasion, enumerated kinds of yam among the Igbo, saying that yam is at the head of other crops among the people.

In another chat with an Indian medical practitioner at the venue, expressed joy over the New Yam event, adding that Nigeria has similar cultures with India.

Said he, “We’re enjoying the New Yam Festival. It’s a delightful experience. Nigerian culture and Indian culture is almost the same. We do dance. We do have some cultural music. We enjoy your cultures,” he stated.

The festival witnessed free speeches, music and dancing, and other forms of entertainment.

Ninety-eight percent of the cuisine on display (It was a buffet.) was local delicacies, including, ‘ofe-Owere, cooked maize, cooked yam, roast yam, roast beef (suya), a variety of meats, even palm wine, among others.

The ceremony which commenced at something past six o’clock in the evening, was a sign of a gradual return to evening life in Owerri.