By Young E. Freeborn, Ughelli
Unenurhie community, Evwreni kingdom in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, is set to celebrate its annual Owhorhu masquerade festival on September 16 and 17, 2026.
A statement by the chief priest of Owhorhu deity, Olorogun Dr. Terry Jabin, after a meeting with stakeholders at the shrine, said: “This year’s Owhorhu masquerade festival is scheduled to hold on September 16 and 17.
“On the 16th is for the watch night. It’s a day set aside to visit family members and friends and to eat and drink together in love. While on the 17th is the main day for the masquerade dance.
“This Owhorhu masquerade festival is our heritage and inheritance from our forebears in Unenurhie community. It’s part of our origin and identity as a people. It’s not a cultural festival we can allow to die away. This is why we are calling on all sons and daughters of Unenurhie community within and those in the Diaspora to come home and celebrate the festival with their family members.
“We are also using the opportunity to invite all our friends, cultural promoters, government officials and the general public to join us celebrate this year’s Owhorhu masquerade festival,” he said.
The traditional head of the community, His Highness James Amuke, the Odion’Rode of Evwreni kingdom, thanked all the traditional chiefs (Inugbedjo) and the organisers of the Owhorhu masquerade festival for promoting the cultural festival every year.
He called on Evwreni philanthropists and politicians and cultural promoting organisations to be of help to all the cultural festivals in Evwreni kingdom in order to preserve and protect them for the younger generations and not to allow them go into sudden extinction.
President-general of Unenurhie community, Mr. Williams Ilayah, said: “Though I’m a Christian by faith, but as the president-general of the community, I’m also a custodian of the community’s traditions and cultural values.
“This is why I’m calling on the Delta State government to make available advanced media technology like the television, radio and the internet in such cultural festivals. This will help to preserve, protect, promote and publish the cultural festivals to the world.
“There are a lot of economic benefits attached to the celebration of cultural festivals in all over the world. This is the major task of the state ministry of culture and tourism. I also want to invite all our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora to bring all their children/wards to catch a glimpse of the cultural festival this year. It’s part of our origin and identity as a people. We shouldn’t allow religion to destroy our cultural heritage,” he said.
The Owhorhu chief priest, Olorogun Dr. Jabin, however, announced that the cultural event will last for fourteen days with different cultural activities being carried out by different groups of people in each day of the festival.
