Admin l Saturday, September 18, 2021
IKARE-AKOKO, Ondo, Nigeria – The Coordinator and the number one corps member in NYSC Ondo State, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani has berated Nigerian youths for not showing enough seriousness at promoting our cultural values.
The State Coordinator who is the traditional title holder of Lolo Odibeeze from the heart of Igboland, Enugu State expressed this opinion while declaring open the Cultural Carnival for the 2021 Batch ‘B’ (Stream II) corps members posted to the Sunshine State.
Mrs. Ani said that exposing or showcasing our rich cultural heritage to the outside world will earn us deserved respect in the global community.
“Gentlemen corps members, it saddens my heart that a country of over 200 million people consisting of well loved and creative youths are not well disposed to promoting their respective cultural diversity. My dear amazing children with lots of potentials, we need to reawaken and sustain our interest in the culture that our creator has bestowed on us. Let us set our priorities right so that we would have a legacy to bequeath to our unborn generations”.
‘Mama Nigeria’ as she is fondly called and referred to because of the geographical spread of the service corps believed that it is never too late to go back to the basics and identify with our roots for the purpose of promoting the core values of our culture and tradition.
“Let us all go back to our roots like a prodigal son, having realised his folly, decided to return to his people. We need to act likewise so that what we care less about in time past will come back to us”.
“On this note, I want to appeal to all parents both at home and in the Diaspora to return to teaching their children indigenous language as a prelude to reclaiming our identity that civilisation has taken from us. Nigeria is blessed with outstanding cultural heritage which people from other climes are expending huge financial resources to research into”.
“Of fact, no nation is an island on her own and cross fertilisation and even exchange of cultural diversity is encouraged but we need to tell the world that we are extremely proud of our culture and we are ready to protect it with all our resources” she said.
“As cultural ambassadors of the noble Scheme, go out there and tell your various host communities that our unity and integration can only be achieved if we sincerely identify with our roots and cultures”.
The Cultural Carnival witnessed procession where the State Coordinator led other camp officials to open the floor to what later turned out to be exciting display of some cultural identity of ethnic nationalities of Nigeria by all the ten platoons.
At the end of unexpected but highly colourful platoon performance ( because the corps members met in the camp and came together less than three weeks) number 5 platoon that showcased Igbo culture came first with 85% and the second position with display of Tiv culture goes to number 6 platoon who garnered 82.5% while number 2 platoon with Hausa presentation with 78% came third.
