The paramount ruler of Opolo-Epie Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Eniya Nengibo has disclosed that 61 youths from the community were recently trained and given starter packs as part of activities marking the 34th annual festival of the community.
Nengibo, who stated this while speaking with newsmen at his palace in Yenagoa, further noted that the training coupled with the starter packs are practical ways of empowering Opolo-Epie youths to be useful not only to themselves but also to the community and the society as a whole.
He stressed that the period of the annual festival was collectively chosen as the appropriate time to actualise the empowerment scheme.
The monarch also opined that the festival is embraced by all and sundry, as a unifying factor that usually brings together all the sons and daughters of the community both at home and in diaspora to celebrate with the spirit of oneness and unity of purpose that usually lasts for one week.
While tracing the history and origin of the festival, Nengibo disclosed that the festival is a practical way to remember what happened in ancient times when Opolo-Epie women were forced to pay taxes by the colonialists.
He recounted that just as the Aba women riots, Opobo-Ebie women also rejected the imposed taxes by engaging in a prolonged protests that unfortunately, resulted in the death of one of the protesting women.
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According to him, in commemoration of the woman’s death, the people of the community decided to come together to remember the unfortunate incident in the form of an annual festival.
He however, urged Opolo-Epie indigenes to be peaceful and law -abiding as they celebrate the festival, adding that adequate security has been provided to project lives and property during the period of the festival.
He also thanked the member representing the community in the House of Representatives, Rep. Oforji Oboku, the former senator that represented the community in the Senate, Senator Paulker Emmanuel and the chairman of the occasion, Osomkime Blackson for the supportive roles they have played to ensure that the festival is a success.
