Ogoni Festival, an ancient ceremony that is believed to attract wealth and prosperity to the inhabitants of Kunukunuma Federated Community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, is billed to hold from Wednesday, April 3, to Saturday, April 6, 2024.

This was made known to PENGlobal Community by a member of the community, Chief Ebifagha Bebenimibo, on behalf of the Planning Committee Chairman Mr. David Watomion, on Friday, March 29.

The four-day annual festival will feature various ceremonial activities beginning with Temple cleansing on Day 1, to various masquerade display from Day 2 to 4.

Speaking on the significance of the Ogoni Festival, Chief Ebi Bebenimibo, disclosed that the festival, which has been marked in time past by their forefathers, is part of their heritage to showcase the culture of the people and to attract prosperity as well as purity.

According to him, "Ogoni Festival is an annual event that has been celebrated in ancient times by the people of Kunukunuma Federated Community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, and recently on revival it has been some years now that we have been marking the festival.

"Ogoni is a deity that is celebrated annually and during the festival a lot of activities take place, like the Temple rituals (cleansing), and masquerade display for three days. A lot of masquerades perform during these days. The first one is called 'Agula' before the Ogoni masquerade itself among others," he said.

Speaking further he added that the "Ogoni Festival is celebrated because it brings wealth to the people and it cleanse away evil from the community. And so, anybody celebrating the Ogoni Festival is celebrating wealth and purity. The festival opens up the community spiritually, physically, economically and otherwise.

"Ogoni, which stands for wealth, like spirit, is everywhere—both water, land, and air. The aftermath of the festival is that those who participate in it gain wealth in their various occupation, whether fishing, tradinh, hunting, and whatever business have you."

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