The Etsu Patigi of Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ibrahim Chatta Umar, has commended the relentless efforts of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) in preserving the Nigerian traditions, cultures and languages, to enhance sustainable development.
The Etsu Patigi, who stated this when a team of NICO staff, led by the North-Central Zonal Coordinator, Mr. Ibrahim Lawal, paid him a courtesy visit in his palace, said that the Institute needed serious support to achieve its desired goal of providing the enabling atmosphere of peaceful co-existence among Nigerians, adding that language is the only essential medium of communication, promotion and preservation of the people’s culture, which explains why he has very high regard for African traditions.
The traditional ruler intimated his visitors of arrangements that had been concluded, in his domain, to give strong support for the publication of a book for primary schools, written in Nupe language, for the new generation of Nupe children, to protect the language from external threats.
While pledging his support for the proposed NICO Debate in Nupe language among secondary schools, coming up in May 2013 in Edu and Patigi Local Government Areas of Kwara State, the Etsu Patigi was full of praises for the programme the Institute initiated for Traditional Rulers and Local Government Chairmen on “Culture, Peace and National Security.”
Earlier in his address, the Zonal Coordinator, Mr. Ibrahim Lawal, delineated NICO’s Programme Plan for 2013, and expressed concern for lack of representation of Royal Fathers from Kwara State, unlike most other states, during the 2-day National Conference the Institute organised for the Traditional Rulers and Local Government Chairmen on “Culture, Peace and National Security,” in May 2012, in spite of the Executive Secretary, Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma’s efforts in getting in touch with them.
Mr. Lawal also told the Etsu Patigi that there will be a replication of that programme for traditional rulers in the North-Central zone, and that he would really count on the support of the royal father in the mobilization of other tradition rulers in his domain.
In the Zonal Coordinator’s entourage, were Aladeitan Levi, Olaniyi Aweda, Ahmed Mohammed, Wasilat Ibrahim, and Gidado Mohammed Bashir.
Naseer Saeed Atiegba
NICO NCZ