The annual celebration of the Amasiekumor festival in the Niger Delta region aims at preserving Ijaw cultural heritage and has nothing to do with human sacrifice whatsoever, the organizers have said.

The Gbaraun nation spokesman, McDonald Igbadiwei while speaking with journalists at Oporoza, the ancestral headquarters of the Gbaramatu kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State on the kick-off of the ongoing week-long celebration, explained that the annual event, dubbed ‘Festival of Peace, Justice and Wealth,’ “is to inform the world about the rich Ijaw cultural festival.”

He said, “There is no secret here to hide from the world. The festival itself is a sacred and holy one, as Amaseikumor is the god of prosperity, longevity, fertility, love and above all, good health.

“The media can cover every aspect of the Amasiekumor festival and inform the world about the rich Ijaw cultural festival, that there is no human sacrifice.”

The spokesman revealed that “the ancient Amaseikumor festival is an age-long festival characterized with a mixture of fun, entertainment and Ijaw spirituality, as masquerades on different days will come in their different apparels adorned beautifully with colours and electrifying Ijaw cultural masquerade dancing.”

He explained further that “women and youth group adherents will also dance in their procession, all in honour and worship of the annual Amaseikumor festival.”

Commenting specifically on the spirituality of the Amaseikumor celebration, Igbadiwei said, “There is no human sacrifice; there is no secret, but the festival is sacred. The only blood sacrifice is cow and ram, drinks, cash and other food items to appease the Amaseikumor god and goddess and other deities of the Ijaw nation.

“No woman is barred from the temple, except women in their flow.

The female journalists, if you are in your flow do not near the temple as there is a spiritual consequence. For the male journalists, if you met with a woman last night, you cannot enter the temple with your camera without being cleansed.”

The spokesman maintained that “the primary motive of inviting the global media to cover the Amaseikumor festival is to help in showcasing the Ijaw rich cultural heritage to the world.”

He spoke further, “It is like a carnival as Ijaws and different tribes in Niger Delta converge here for the Amaseikumor festival holding in Oporoza, just like every other year.

“The 2025 Amaseikumor festival is getting more attention with different media houses coming from far and near for accreditation, including international media organizations, like CNN and others.”

Meanwhile, traditional worshippers and tourists from different parts of the country converged on the Gbaramatu kingdom for the festival, just as the ancient Oporoza town was adorned with beautiful colours of wrappers with houses newly painted beautifully to the admiration of guests.

Well-decorated canopies were laid out around the Egbesu shrine, lining up through the side of the Oporoza Guest House to the old Palace Building with musicians playing amidst a cacophony of drumming.

Evidence of the great festival could be gleaned from the huge travellers movement witnessed at the Miller Waterside boarding free speedboats provided by the organizers.



https://punchng.com/ndeltas-amasiekumor-festival-to-preserve-ijaw-cultural-heritage-not-for-human-sacrifice-spokesman/