"HOW BARAKO MONARCH INVOKED ANCESTORS BEFORE HEAVY RAINFALL" - CELESTINE AKPOBARI SHARES EXPERIENCE
Residents of Barako Ancient Community in Ogoniland gathered to witness the annual “Uula Mii Giaa (Dee Zua)” cultural festival, a traditional event that marks the end of one farming season and the beginning of another. The celebration was hosted by the community’s traditional ruler, His Royal Highness (Mene) Kadilo Kabari, Gbere Domee VII, Menebon Barako, and featured various cultural rites aimed at promoting unity and preserving Ogoni heritage. One of the key moments of the ceremony was the traditional practice of communal drinking from a single cup, symbolizing love, unity, and togetherness among members of the community. During the event, the monarch reportedly invoked the ancestors to accept and seal the festival with a sign. He announced that the weather would soon change and that a heavy rainfall would follow as a symbol of approval by the gods. Witnesses said that just minutes after the pronouncement, a heavy downpour began despite the earlier hot and sunny weath...