Language and culture have been identified as sine qua non in the handling of people in any society, says the State Head National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) Enugu State Office, Mr. Nnaemeka Nwajagu.
The NICO Enugu boss, who stated this in a goodwill message he delivered at Baptist High School Enugu 2014 Cultural Day held at the school premise, commended the organizers for taking time to inculcate in the students values of pride for their fatherland, reminding the audience that the Missionaries succeeded in Nigeria because of their ability to assimilate and imbibe our language and culture.
Nwajagu took a swipe at parents, who forbade their children from speaking their mother tongue, further attributing the multifarious social vices in the country today to the disconnect between the people and culture.
While urging participants to take their training seriously, he also promised, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of NICO, Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma to partner the school whenever the need arises, and used the opportunity to invite all present to the formal inauguration of NICO Cultural Clubs in Schools billed to hold in September.
Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Mazi Mbonu Gilbert Ejikeme thanked NICO for the cultural reawakening programmes, especially the NICO Cultural Clubs in Schools, a programme that aims principally at catching children young.
On his part, the Chairman of the National Association for the Survival of Igbo Language and Culture, Sir Chinedu Ofomata, KSJ, (Ebekuedike Ogbunka), who was the guest speaker at the occasion, emphasized the importance of Igbo language and culture as means of identification, worship and greetings for future generation, and reiterated the need to sensitize the young ones so that the UNESCO prediction of some languages going into extinction in the next few years would be forestalled.
In her vote of thanks, the winner of “Nwada Igbo” Beauty Pageant 2014, Miss Ijeoma Mbonu, thanked NICO Enugu State Office for the immense contributions in culture sector and humanity, in general, and congratulated the participating schools for their efforts towards making the occasion a success.
Highlights of the occasion include, Debate between Evangel Secondary School and Emmanuel (Anglican) Secondary School, all in Enugu, on the topic: “O ka mma iji asusu Igbo zulite nwata karia asusu Bekee” (Is it better to train a child with his/her mother tongue than English language?), Cultural Dances, Quiz, News in Igbo language, Igwe and Lolo of the School Coronation.
Kingsley Ngoka
Corporate Affairs
Enugu State Office