From Emmanuel Uzor, Abakaliki
Ezza Ezekuna, popularly known as the Ezza nation, is probably the largest sub-ethnic nationality in the South East and its people constitute the largest population in many states across the country where they live.
They are to be found predominantly in Ebonyi, Enugu, Benue, Lagos and Ogun states.
It was their numerical strength across the country that made them to assume the sobriquet, “Ezza nation.”
In Ebonyi State, Oriental News investigations showed that Ezza natives, apart from their original two local government areas of Ezza North and Ezza South, are also in large numbers in Ohaukwu, Onicha, Ivo and Ishielu local government areas of the state.
Recently, Ezza Ezekuna, apparently in search of unity and a central forum to exist as a people and indivisible entity, its stakeholders organised some programmes aimed at bringing the people together as a nation at their ancestral home, Onueke, in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Oriental News gathered that one of the programmes was the feast of unity (Oriri-Obulanu) organised by the Ezza Union, one of the central unions in Ezza Ezekuna, formed to foster unity among the Ezza people at home and in the Diaspora.
Apart from the Oriri-Obulanu, which was held at the Okpoku-Ezekuna, Nchionu, the ancestral home of Ezekuna, the progenitor of Ezza Ezekuna in Onueke, Ezza South Local Government Area, the Ezza nation also rolled out other activities to mark the 2016 end of the year programme.
At the grand finale of the activities lined up for the celebration of unity in Ezza nation, which was marked with the finals of the football match at the Onueke Township Stadium, a total of 55 teams from the various local government areas and states where Ezza natives live competed.
Oriental News gathered that the Ezza Nation Football League was sponsored by prominent Ezza sons, among who were international businessman and philanthropist, Chief Chibuike Orogwu (Baby Oku), the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Bernard Odoh, and Chief Amechi Aloke, among others.
Odoh disclosed that the ideal of the football tournament, tagged Ezza Nation Football League (ENFLEAG) was to bring the people of the clan together and understand one another.
He described the tournament as a permanent phenomenon to bring unity in the Ezza nation, adding that the competition would be an annual event where teams from every part of the country where Ezza Ezekuna natives live would be given the opportunity to compete.
The SSG disclosed that a total of 25 teams participated in the tournament, which he described as a symbol of unity among the Ezza people.
He described the football tournament as one of the programmes organised by leaders of Ezza nation to foster peace, progress and unity in all the areas and clans where Ezza natives live.
Odoh described the unity that has been restored among the Ezza people as commendable, adding that the people of Ezza Ezekuna have never been so free and accommodated in the scheme of things in the state than now. He attributed the unity and sound relationship among the people to the love and equity exhibited by Governor David Umahi in the distribution of various government amenities and appointments.
Odoh described Umahi as an upright man who abhors injustice, adding that the people of Ezza, despite their numerical strength and being the first-born of Ebonyi State, have been subjected to all sorts of inhuman treatment, including denial of political appointments, before the emergence of Umahi.
Also in his remarks, another native of Ezza Ezekuna, the Chief Judge of Ebonyi State, Justice Aloy Nwankwo, described the Ezza Nation Football League as a symbol of unity among all Ezza natives all over the country.
Nwankwo commended the organisers and sponsors of the tournament, adding that football was recognised worldwide as symbol of unity because in football there are no enemies.
His words: “It is in football that there is no disparity between people of various political parties or backgrounds. I want to thank the sponsors and organisers of this football tournament and urge them to keep it up, to continue to sustain our quest for unity among all Ezza natives all over the world.”
On his part, Commissioner for Youth and Sports in Ebonyi State, Mr. Charles Akpuenika, thanked the people of Ezza Ezekuna for their unity of purpose, which he said has put them on the map of national unity.
“Honestly, I don’t know how to appreciate the Ezza people, I am thanking the sponsors and organisers of this great event for making the state proud. You people have already keyed into the state policy on sports.
“As we all know, Governor Umahi is in a hurry to bring back our teams, which the past administration disbanded. We are discovering talents and we have discovered new talents here in this tournament. We are reintroducing school sports in our schools and we are starting very soon,” he said.
Chairman on the occasion and the Ebonyi State chapter chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Ikechukwu Nwafor, an Ezza man also, said that the people of Ezza have united under one umbrella to work as a family.
He stressed that, regardless of political affiliations, Ezza nation would always be united and work as a people with a common inheritance, as he urged the sponsors of the football tournament to continue to make it an annual event to further cement the relationship among the people.
The Deputy Speaker, Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Chief Odefa Obasi Odefa and the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Umahi on Infrastructure Maintenance, Ali Odefa, also commended the unity of Ezza Ezekuna and urged them to continue to support the state government.
One of the sponsors of the Ezza Ezekuna Football League, Aloke, promised that the tournament would be an annual event, promising that it would turn out to be the most well organised league in the country.
The Spiritual leader of Ezza Union, Rev Fr. Gabriel Enogu, insisted that the people of Ezza Ezekuna must unite in every form to work as a people to enable them recover the lost values which Ezza was known for.
He harped on the dying Igbo culture and promised that Ezza nation would reinvigorate their culture and introduce annual competition on Ezza language and tradition to get back the younger generation to track.
At the end of the Ezza Nation Football League, Ezza Effium in Ohaukwu council area triumphed over Ezza Ntezi in Ishielu council area to emerge the third place winner while Idembia beat Amuzu, the host community all in Ezza South council 1-0 to emerge the winner of the 2016 Ezza Nation Football League.
However, at the end of the tournament, the winner, the flying Pigeon Football Club of Idembia got the gold medal and trophy accompanied with cash prize of N400,000; the second placed Cannon Flames FC of Amuzu got the silver medal with N250,000 cash prize while Effium United FC came third and smiled home with the bronze medal and cash award of N150, 000.
The event was attended by sons and daughters of Ezza Ezekuna, including political office holders and other prominent persons from the academia, commerce, as well as the friends of Ezza Ezeuka.