Bayelsa: Anyama Community Seeks Govt Recognition As 57th Fe Atei Oge Festival Begins
By Amos Odhe
All is set for the 2026 edition of the Anyama Fe Atei Oge Festival as Anyama Ijaw Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Ahead of a week-long celebration of the event, the community leaders have appealed to the Bayelsa State Government to grant the festival official recognition and first-class classification.
Addressing newsmen separately at the palace of the Paramount Ruler of the community, HRH King Amen Sariki, the Chairman of the 2026 Festival Planning Committee, Mr. Dasime Jeremiah, and the Community Development Committee Chairman, Mr. Taribaowei Elemokumo, flanked by his council of chiefs, said the festival has been observed for 57 years.
They explained that the festival commemorates God’s divine protection of Anyama during the Nigerian Civil War in 1967.
According to them, “two companies of the Biafran Army, one stationed in Anyama and the other in Yenagoa, mistook each other for Nigerian troops. An exchange of gunfire ensued, with casualties recorded on both sides.
“However, when residents returned to the community after taking cover in the bush, they found that no life or animal was lost in Anyama. The elders interpreted the survival as an act of God and declared August 1 of every year as a day of thanksgiving and celebration, a tradition that has continued till date,” they stayed.
Mr. Jeremiah said the 2026 festival will run for one week and will be climaxed on Sunday with a thanksgiving service. Activities lined up include boat regatta, canoe race, wrestling festival, novelty football match, Amungo Aru, presentation of yams to the paramount ruler, and cultural displays.
He added that the celebration will also feature the arrival of Nollywood actors and actresses, the current Miss World, and night performances by top musicians including Barrister S. Smooth, Alfred Izon-Ebi J. King and Hyperman Solowizzz.
“We are welcoming everybody to come and celebrate our culture, strengthen our bonds and preserve the legacy of our forefathers,” he said.
On his part, Mr. Elemokumo said the community’s local vigilante will work with the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police to ensure adequate security of lives and property throughout the festivities. He described Anyama as a peaceful and hospitable community.
He further appealed to the Bayelsa State Ministry of Culture and Tourism to upgrade the Anyama Fe Atei Oge Festival and classify it among the state’s first-class cultural festivals.
“This festival promotes our cultural heritage and deserves to be accorded the same recognition given to other major festivals in the state,” he said.
The CDC chairman disclosed that invitations have been sent to Governor Senator Douye Diri, Deputy Governor Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, other top government officials, politicians and captains of industry to grace the 2026 celebration.
